Will Howald joined the Pacific Symphony as Principal Timpani in 2026. Prior to his appointment, he held positions as Principal Timpani with the Erie Philharmonic and Section Percussion with the Spokane Symphony. He has been a guest timpanist with the San Francisco Symphony and Las Vegas Philharmonic, and performed on percussion with the Oregon Symphony, The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. 

Will holds degrees from Florida State University and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where his primary teachers were Dr. John Parks and Ed Stephan. In the summers, he was a fellow at Brevard Music Center and Aspen Music Festival. Howald is also an active educator, most recently teaching at Whitworth University and with the Spokane Symphony’s youth programs.