A former member of the U.S. Marine Band for four years, John H. Beck became the principal percussionist of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 1959. In 1962, he became the principal timpanist of the ensemble. He earned his B.M. and M.M degrees from the Eastman School of Music where he is presently serving as the Head of the Percussion Department and the conductor of the Eastman Percussion Ensemble. 

John H. Beck is affiliated with some of the best ensembles both national and international. The list includes the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Eastman Wind Ensemble, Syracuse Wind Ensemble, Chatauqua Band, Memphis State Band, Rochester Chamber Orchestra and Filharmonia Pomorska based in Poland wherein he was able to do solo performances.

Besides being a performer, Mr. Beck is also famous for his compositions. Some of his creations were published by leading publication companies. He has also done recordings of his works such as Bartoks Sonata for two Pianos and Percussion, Verne Reynolds, Concertare I for Brass Quintet and Percussion Set of Five by Henry Cowell and the Alan Hovhaness Suite with Carroll Glen and Eugene List in some of the best recording labels which include CRI, Turnabout Records, Mark Records and Heritage Records. A proven versatile percussionist, Mr. Beck also became the conductor on Lou Harrisons Concerto for Violin and Percussion Orchestra with Carroll Glenn as soloist on At The Edge for percussion and tape by Allan Schindler. 

He also wrote numerous articles about percussion. In fact, he has contributed articles to the Grove Dictionary of American Music and the World Book Encyclopedia. Recently, his Encyclopedia of Percussion Instruments was introduced by Garland Publishing. 

John Beck, due to his priceless contributions to the percussion industry has earned a lot of recognition from different award giving bodies. He was awarded the 1976 Mu Phi Epsilon Musician of the Year award. In 1977, he went to South America together with the Aeolian Consort as a percussion soloist. It was 1980 when he did his New York City conducting debut at the Abraham Goodman House. His latest engagement in New York City is at the Alice Tully Hall where he got the chance to perform the pieces of Warren Benson and Sydney Hodkinson with the Eastman Chamber Players. He also was invited as a guest soloist performing Raymond Premrus Celebrations Overture for Solo Timpani and Orchestra with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 1986. 

He spent four years serving as a faculty member of the Grand Teton Orchestral Seminar. He also became the pops conductor of the Penfield Symphony. For a few summers, he became a performer, clinician, teacher and conductor at the International Workshops for Percussion in Bydgoszcz, Poland. He also became the American adjudicator for the International Percussion Competition in Luxembourg in 1989 and 1992. His latest solo project with the orchestra was the first ever performance of Three Pieces for 5 Timpani and 5 Roto-toms by Claude Baker where he was given the opportunity to work with David Effron and the Eastman School of Music Philharmonia. It was September 1990 when he visited Russia with 14 percussionists from the Percussive Arts Society. It was also the same year when he became the adjudicator for the Japan Music Education and Culture Promotion Society based in Tokyo, Japan. He became the resident percussionist at the Interlochen Center for the Arts Summer Program in 1993. The year after, he became the resident percussionist at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen. He was also the clinician for the International Foundation for Performing Arts Medicine. He was also affiliated with Encontro Latino Americanos De Percussao in Santa Maria, Brazil as a clinician , soloist and instructor.