Timpani / Percussion

Begun his Bachelor Degree at the University of Chile and completed his Master and Artist diploma from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

From 1991 to 1994 he received the “Teatro Municipal of Santiago National Scholarship” to complete his education. At the age of 16, Mr. Soto won the first prize at the “Jorge Pena Henn” musical interpretation competition at La Serena City, Chile, playing as a soloist with the local orchestra. At the same time, he was trained as Latin percussionist by his own father Mr. Leonardo Soto, who is one Chile’s most famous musicians in the field.

From 1991 to 1994 he was part of the well-known “Rythmus Percussion Ensemble” from the University of Chile, performing all around Chile and South America. Between 1994 and 1997 he started his professional life working with as a substitute with the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony of Chile, gaining experience in Orchestral, Opera and Ballet repertoire.

During the 1995 and 1996 season he became the Principal Timpanist of the Antofagasta Symphony Orchestra in the North of Chile as well as the instructor of the percussion section of the Santiago Youth Symphony and the Antofagasta School of music Orchestra.

In 1997 he received the “Fundación Andes” International Scholarship, to finish his education at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA, with timpanist Timothy K Adams Jr., from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. After relocating in the United States, Mr. Soto has worked as Timpani Substitute with the Canton Symphony, OH, Westmoreland Symphony, PA, Charleston Symphony, SC, New World Symphony, FL, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (touring internationally), Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Cleveland Music City.

With the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic he performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall in New York City playing compositions by Giacinto Scelci.

Mr. Soto often travels back to Chile to perform recitals, master classes and clinics at the National University, where students arrive from different parts of South America.  He also keeps a private studio in Michigan, where he actively teaches both classical and Latin percussion alongside with clinics and master classes around schools, universities and summer camps.   Among his main teachers we can name Mr. Timothy K Adams Jr. from the Pittsburgh Symphony, Mr. Miguel Zarate from the Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago, Mr. Tom Freer from the Cleveland Orchestra, and Mr. Cloyd Duff former Timpanist of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Mr. Soto can be heard in:
Carnegie Mellon Opera Theater, Sir Colman Pearce conductor “Leonardo Balada Operettas”, NAXOS
Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, Juan Pablo Izquierdo conductor, “Giacinto Scelci Orchestral works”, MODE
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons, The music of “Rodion Shchedrin”, CURTAIN CALL

In 2003 Mr. Soto was appointed Principal Timpani of the Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit Opera House.