Roland Kohloff, former principal timpanist of the New York Philharmonic and a Juilliard faculty member since 1978, died of cancer on February 24. He was 71.

Kohloff retired from the New York Philharmonic in 2004, after 32 years in the high-profile position of principal timpanist. He was a familiar figure to concert and television audiences, standing out above the orchestra as he flourished his mallets with showmanship and mastery. "He was fiery and extraordinarily accurate, and exceptionally musical," according to Benjamin Herman, a New York timpanist who often substituted for him with the Philharmonic.

Roland Kohloff (Photo courtesy of the New York Philharmonic Archives)

Kohloff's professional career began with the San Francisco Symphony, which he joined as a 21-year-old, fresh out of Juilliard in 1956. In his first season in San Francisco, he won the notice of Chronicle music critic Alfred Frankenstein; the following year he was the soloist in a vividly theatrical performance of Milhaud's Concerto for Percussion and Small Orchestra. In subsequent seasons, he was featured in works by William Jay Sydeman, Niccolo Castiglioni, Lukas Foss, and George Crumb.

After 16 years in San Francisco, Kohloff headed for New York in 1972. During his tenure with the Philharmonic, he gave the New York premiere of several contemporary works, including Franco Donatoni's Concertino for Strings, Brass and Solo Timpani and Siegfried Matthus's Timpani Concerto. Kohloff entered orchestra lore one night in 1978, when he raced straight after his 7:30 Philharmonic concert at Lincoln Center down to Carnegie Hall, where he filled in for the Philadelphia Orchestra's timpanist in David Del Tredici's Final Alice on the second half of the program.

Born in Port Chester, N.Y., on January 20, 1935, Kohloff grew up in nearby Mamaroneck and studied at Juilliard with the famed timpanist Saul Goodman, whom he eventually succeeded as the New York Philharmonic's principal. Kohloff also joined the faculty at Juilliard himself. Many of his former students now play with major orchestras, including David Herbert, who holds his former teacher's position of principal timpanist with the San Francisco Symphony, and Joseph Pereira, currently acting principal timpanist with the New York Philharmonic.

Read a tribute to Roland Kohloff.

Kohloff is survived by his wife, the former Janet Unger, who was a member of the San Francisco Opera Chorus when they met; a daughter and son-in-law, Jami and Mark Grassi of Napa; his son, Steven; two granddaughters; a brother, George; and a sister, Cindi. The family has requested donations to the National Alliance on Mental Illness or the American Cancer Society.