“"Grover Pro is synonymous with quality and respect for music. Their instruments - crafted with artisanal care and passion - inspire and elevate the performance of any percussionist."“ —

Castanets, Large Granadillo

Douglas Gutjahr has been Principal Timpanist of the Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra (OSPA) since 2017 and serves as a percussion professor at Musicarium – Brazilian Philharmonic Academy. Originally from Jaraguá do Sul (SC), he holds a degree in percussion from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) and a master’s degree in music from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).

His international career gained prominence between 2007 and 2008, when he was a member of the Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra (JMWO), touring major cultural centers in Europe. With the orchestra, he performed in renowned concert halls such as the Berliner Philharmonie (Germany), the Muziekgebouw (Netherlands), and the Palau de les Arts (Spain), affirming his presence on prestigious international stages.

He is the author of Timpani: History, Organology, Technical Concepts and Applied Studies (2024), the first Brazilian method book devoted exclusively to timpani education and the first publication on the instrument written in Portuguese. The book combines historical context, organological analysis, technical approaches, and practical studies, representing a groundbreaking contribution to classical percussion in Brazil.

As a soloist and chamber musician, he released his debut CD/DVD Brasil (Re)Percussivo (2015), which earned him the Best Classical Instrumentalist award at the Açorianos Music Prize (2016). He also recorded Meu Ninar (2020) and Universo Percussivo (2022). His compositions and arrangements for percussion are frequently performed in recitals and concerts throughout Brazil.

Since 2009, Gutjahr has worked as an educator, teaching at major music festivals in Brazil, including the SESC International Music Festival, where he has been a faculty member since 2010. In 2024, he took part in Musicarium’s first international tour, performing with the Percussion Group at renowned institutions such as the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève (Switzerland), the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (Netherlands), and the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe (Germany).

In the field of distance education, he co-created the Timpani Course for the Virtual Academy “Arte de Toda Gente”, a free-access online platform hosted on Moodle. The project is a partnership between UFRJ and Funarte, curated by the UFRJ School of Music.

In addition to his work as a timpanist, teacher, and composer, Gutjahr also performs as a percussionist with various artistic ensembles across the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Douglas currently uses the following Grover Pro instruments:

• Triangle 6” Super – Overtone Model
• Triangle Beaters – TB-TD
• Handle Castanets – GWC – 3G
• Tambourine T2/GS-8