He is a percussionist and teacher who took his studied at Monclair Stare University and gained his degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Juilliard School. His wife is the violinist Sheryl Staples who has been Associate Principal Concertmaster with the New York Philharmonic.
In his career as a professional orchestra musician he has performed with orchestras in the New York area with some of them including the Central Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Colonial Symphony, Gotham Wind Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera , the New Jersey State Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the New York Pops and the Westfield Symphony. He has also regularly performed with the Orchestra of St. Lukes where he has held the position of Principal Percussionist.
Aside from his work with orchestras he has also lent his talents to many popular singers and groups with a few of them being Tony Bennett, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Metallica, the Moody Blues, Frank Sinatra, Sting, James Taylor and Yes. He has also performed music for TV programs such as Late Night with David Letterman and Saturday night Live and on Broadway from 1993 to 1995 in the production of Blood Brothers.
No stranger to the recording studio he has made many recordings with a selection being Surinach: Doppio Concertino by the Bronx Art Ensemble, Christopher Rouse: Passion Wheels by The Concordia Orchestra, Heavenly Christmas by Jackie Evancho, Jove’s Nectar: The Choral Music of Edwin London by The Gregg Smith Singers, A Map of the World by Pat Metheny, Kernis: Love Scenes by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, An Encounter with the Music of William Kraft, Leonard Bernstein’s New York and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific in Concert from Carnegie Hall.
In the field of musical education he has been on the faculties of the Columbia Teachers College, the Mannes College of Music, the Montclair Kimberley Academy and SUNY Purchase.
As a businessman he is the owner of Centanni Percussion, LLC based in Haworth, New Jersey, which deals in the supply of percussion instruments used by orchestras and individual musicians.
He performs here…
Sources:
- http://www.montclair.edu/arts/cali-school-of-music/faculty/percussion/
- http://www.oslmusic.org/about-us/musicians
- http://www.centannipercussion.com/about-us.html
- http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=391556
- http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/alumni/scenter_stage/sstaples.html/
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barry-centanni-mn0001236315
- http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp;jsessionid=C8157A7C4289B4202F56E7A687A9F972?name_id1=25277&name_role1=2&bcorder=2