Denis Petrunin

On Stage

Denis Petrunin has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and other prestigious concert halls across the United States, Russia, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, England, France, the Netherlands, Greece, and Spain. He made his debut in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory at the age of ten and has since maintained an active international career. 

He is frequently invited to present masterclasses around the world and to serve on distinguished juries, including the Italy Percussive Arts Society International Competition and Russia’s Drumwave International Festival-Competition. In 2023, he joined the faculty of Augusta University, where he leads the percussion department, and he is also part of the Curtis Institute of Music’s Mentor Network online learning program. His performances have been broadcast on WHYY Radio (Philadelphia), and he has been featured in international publications such as Rhythm! Scene (Percussive Arts Society) and The Strad.

Petrunin’s awards include the Avedis Zildjian Percussion Scholarship, first prize at the PASIC 2009 Chamber Competition, and the Spivakov Foundation Scholarship. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Moscow State Symphony, The Seasons Chamber Orchestra, Gnessin Virtuosi, ARCO Chamber Orchestra, Aiken Civic Orchestra, and Main Line Symphony Orchestra. 

Petrunin has been the Principal Timpanist of the Augusta Symphony since 2017, and served as the Acting Principal Timpanist with the Savannah Philharmonic and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra during the 2024–25 season. He also frequently performs with the Atlanta Symphony and Charleston Symphony. He has previously held the position of Co-Principal Timpanist of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, as well as Principal Timpanist/Percussionist with The Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre and the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre.

A significant part of his career is devoted to the ViMaDeAn Duo, which he co-founded in 2010 with his wife, violinist Anastasia Petrunina. Dedicated to expanding the repertoire for violin and percussion, the duo has commissioned over 20 new works and performed internationally, including at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Music and Mindfulness Camp alongside members of the National Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Petrunin holds degrees from the Gnessins School of Music, the Curtis Institute of Music, Yale University, and the University of Georgia. He proudly endorses Pearl/Adams instruments, Vic Firth sticks, and Zildjian cymbals.