In Memoriam

Eugene Espino
Eugene Santiago Espino, Principal Timpanist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for 37 years, died of a heart attack on April 23 in California. He was 65.

"He was a legendary personality in the orchestra and a popular figure in town," Cincinnati Symphony music director Paavo Järvi told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "He was a good example of a great pro and a great old-timer. He's done it all and knew the repertoire and was a real master."

Espino joined the Cincinnati Symphony in 1967, after spending one year as Principal Timpanist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. During his tenure, he performed two world premieres, an American premiere and a Cincinnati premiere as soloist. Espino also performed with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

A native of Oakland, Calif., Espino graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied with Saul Goodman.