Rhett Del Campo

Rhett Del Campo, in his second year with the Royal Operan, is a native of Chicago, Illinois. Before moving to Stockholm, he served as percussionist for four years with the New World Symphony, in Miami Beach, Florida, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.

Mr. Del Campo began his musical training at the age of three studying piano. At the age of five, he presented recitals in France and Germany and at nine he performed as soloist with the Concertante di Chicago. He performed as piano soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a live broadcast in 1991 and was the winner of the Baldwin National Piano Competition and the Music Teachers National Association Piano Competition. At fourteen, Del Campo presented four performances of Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and at the Maggio Musicale Festival in Florence, Italy.

In 1995, he served as a chamber musician with the Encore Chamber Orchestra, performing concerts in Birmingham and London, England. Rhett began percussion training at the age of sixteen and majored in percussion performance at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He served as percussionist and pianist with the Boston Philharmonic, directed by Benjamin Zander, and also performed with the Boston Chamber Music Society.

Del Campo received a Master of Music degree in percussion performance from DePaul University in Chicago. He was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago under Daniel Barenboim for two seasons and was a substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. While with the New World Symphony, Rhett soloed with the orchestra on several occasions. He performed a marimba concerto in January of 2003 and was featured as the Xylorimba Soloist in the orchestra's 2006 performance of Olivier Messiaen's, From the Canyons to the Stars.

Mr. Del Campo also premiered Island Music by Michael Tilson Thomas for 4 marimbas in a live, international webcast and gave subsequent performances in Miami, Louisville, Boston, and twice in New York's Carnegie Hall.

Rhett has spent his last nine summers in Colorado playing with the Aspen Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra and most recently as pianist and percussionist with the Breckenridge Music Festival.

Outside of music, Rhett enjoys running, playing golf and traveling.