Kevin Ritenauer

Kevin Ritenauer joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as Associate Principal Timpanist/Section Percussionist in September 2022. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, he has enjoyed a multi-faceted musical career. Prior to joining the SLSO, Ritenauer spent four seasons in Miami Beach as a Percussion Fellow at the New World Symphony. Ritenauer has performed around the country with orchestras including The Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. Aside from orchestral playing, he enjoys chamber music. Along with his two brothers, Ritenauer has commissioned and performed works for percussion trio.

Ritenauer has spent summers as a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, and the Roundtop Festival Institute. In 2022, he appeared as Principal Timpanist with the Artosphere Festival Orchestra in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Ritenauer attended the Manhattan School of Music (BM) where he studied with Christopher Lamb, Duncan Patton, She-e Wu, Erik Charlston and Jeffrey Milarsky. He continued his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music (MM) with his primary teacher, Marc Damoulakis as well as Paul Yancich, and Richard Weiner.

As an educator, Ritenauer has coached ensembles around the world from Cleveland to Colombia, including one summer coaching and playing with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra 2. Ritenauer also has taught privately, including a role as Mentor in the New World Symphony’s College Track Mentorship program.

Ritenauer is a proud endorser of Freer Percussion.