Rui Sul Gomes

Born in Porto, Rui Sul Gomes grew up in Lisbon and studied music at the Lisbon National Conservatory of Music and the National Superior Academy of Orchestra. Between 2000 and 2006, he was Principal Percussionist with the Porto National Orchestra. Since 2006, he has been Principal Timbales with the Gulbenkian Orchestra. An enthusiast of the Amsterdam timpani school, he perfected his skills with Marinus Komst and Nick Woud, timpanists with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. As a soloist, he has played with the Metropolitan Academic Orchestra, the Beiras Philharmonic, the Espinho Classical Orchestra, and the Gulbenkian Orchestra. He presented the first performance in Portugal of Philip Glass’s Concerto Fantasia for two timpanists and orchestra, and the world premiere of Luís Pena’s Off-balance, a concerto for two percussionists. As a teacher, he has taught at the National Superior Academy of Orchestra, the University of Aveiro, and the Porto School of Music and Performing Arts. Throughout his career, he has been invited to lead masterclasses in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil. Rui Sul Gomes is an Adams Percussion and Insound Mallets artist.