Greg LaRosa is a professional musician and educator based in New York City. He currently holds the Mia and Victor Parsonnet Chair as Principal Timpanist of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and was hailed by The New York Times for his “especially fine time.”

As a performer, Greg has appeared with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Diego Symphony and has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has served as Principal Timpanist at major international festivals including the Salzburg Festival and Edinburgh International Festival

His work has also taken him well beyond the concert hall. Greg has performed on Broadway productions, including Mamma Mia!, and has worked as an on-camera musician in major motion pictures and television productions.

Greg's solo performances have earned recognition at major competitions, including a Grand Prize at the Kerope Zildjian Competition. A longtime advocate for new music, he has worked closely with composers including Steve Reich and George Crumb and has premiered works by Arvo Pärt and Steven Mackey. His work has also taken him in a wide range of other musical directions, from historically informed Baroque performance to Broadway, film, and television.

But performing is only one part of Greg's musical life.

He is also an educator with experience teaching piano, timpani, classical percussion, and drum set to students of all ages and backgrounds. Greg has taught throughout North America and Asia and currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Percussion Workshop. He has also been a teaching fellow at The Juilliard School's Music Advancement Program and has presented masterclasses and guest lectures internationally, including in Delhi, India, and Shiga, Japan.

Greg has taught extensively in New York City public schools and maintains a private teaching studio with students of all ages from around the country.

Working closely with students and families has also led Greg to become increasingly interested in everything surrounding the process of learning music: how students practice, how they stay motivated, how parents can support them, and how young musicians gradually learn to take ownership of their own progress.

Those interests have led him to create teaching materials and practice resources, including Playful Practice, Practice Superstar, and The Rhythm Lab, a growing collection of resources for beginning band and orchestra musicians.

Prior to joining the New Jersey Symphony, Greg earned his Master’s Degree from the Colburn School, where he studied with Ted Atkatz. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from The Juilliard School, studying with Daniel Druckman and Markus Rhoten. He has also been a Barbara Lee Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and a Charlie Owen Fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School.

Greg is an endorser of Pearl and Adams Percussion Instruments.