Legendary International Keyboard Percussionists Visit School of Music

The University of Maryland will welcome two legendary international keyboard percussion ensembles, Percussions Claviers de Lyon and Kroumata Percussion Ensemble to the School of Music in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, February 25 – 28, 2013 for a series of concerts, lectures and masterclasses.

Two of the world’s most renowned keyboard percussion ensembles, the groups are known for their dynamism and energy, and have dazzled audiences all over the world. Their sessions at UMD are free and open to the public, and will culminate with an informal concert in which they are joined by the UMD Percussion Ensemble on Thursday, February 28 at 1:30PM.

“We are so pleased to host these two European titans of new music and percussive artistry,” said Dr. Lee Hinkle, Lecturer of Percussion at the School of Music. “Percussions Claviers de Lyon and Kroumata Percussion Ensemble have elevated virtuosic keyboard percussion from the back of the orchestra to the soloist's seat with over 35 years of concertizing, commissioning, and premiering of new music for percussion.”

Percussions Claviers de Lyon

Percussions Claviers de Lyon, a mallet quintet from France, has been surprising audiences with innovative new repertoire for marimbas, vibes and xylophones since 1983. Constantly striving for musical excellence, they perform original arrangements of popular classical works for mallet ensemble, and commission new works for percussion by contemporary composers. The result is an eclectic repertoire of transcriptions and new works composed especially for the group.

Kroumata Percussion Ensemble

Kroumata Percussion Ensemble has been described as “the grandfather of percussion ensembles.” Hailing from Sweden, Kroumata has commissioned works by composers as diverse as Sofia Gubaidulina, Gyorgy Ligeti, John Cage, Iannis Xenakis, Hanna Hartman, Giovanni Verrando, Andre Chini, Steve Reich and Sven David Sandstrom.

A complete schedule of events follows:

Percussions Claviers de Lyon

Monday, February 25, 2013 . 6PM to 8:30PM
Price: Free
Location: Clarice Smith Center Room # 2540

Percussions Claviers de Lyon will lecture on the history of their group, the music they perform, and a concert of classical transcriptions for percussion instruments