UW-Green Bay percussion concert is Friday
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will present a Contemporary Percussion Ensemble and Hand Drumming Ensemble on Friday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the University Theatre inside Theatre Hall on the UW-Green Bay campus, 2420 Nicolet Drive.
UW-Green Bay Prof. Cheryl Grosso, a faculty member since 1985, will direct both ensembles.
The four-member Contemporary Percussion Ensemble includes seniors Adam LeGrave and Benjamin Hogan, junior Andrew Baldwin and freshman Meghan Kielpikowski.
The ensemble will open the concert with “Bong’s Garbo” by Arthur Jarvinen, a piece using three gongs as melodic instruments.
That will be followed by two original compositions by Grosso. “Ketenangen” is a trio written several years ago that includes Thai gongs, two vibraphones, chimes, and a bowed electric guitar. “Benam” is a snare drum duet Grosso wrote this fall specifically for Hogan and LeGrave.
“They were interested in playing a snare duet and there really isn’t much college/professional level repertory for that combination,” Grosso said. “So, I wrote a piece in which I tried to capture their individual personalities as well as their wonderful friendship.”
The ensemble will then play “Fugue” by Lou Harrison and “Take That” by William Albright.
The second half of the concert will be performed by the 13-member Hand Drumming Ensemble, which will perform five “Rhythm Chant” pieces composed by Grosso. Student Kayla Johnson will improvise on flugelhorn on one of the works.
The ensemble will perform Grosso’s newest composition, “Rhythm Chant Tala,” a piece based on North Indian music played on West African drums.
Tickets are $7 for adults or $5 for students and seniors, and are available at the door, or in advance by calling (800) 328-8587 or online at www.uwgb.edu/tickets/performing.html.
This is the fifteenth concert of the 2010-2011 season.
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