Tuesday
November 12
7 p.m.
Rialto Center for the Arts
Dark Full Ride (2009)
Julia Wolfe | b. 1958
When Talujon Percussion Quartet asked me to write a piece for 4 percussionists I immediately thought of the drums. I am a long time fan of drummers and their ability to play simultaneously with both hands and feet, so I thought why not four of them? I went to David Cossin’s studio to try ideas out. When we got to the hi-hat I became mesmerized. It’s an amazing instrument – 2 cymbals crashing together by means of a foot pedal and struck from above. It produces an enormous range of shimmering colors. Just opening and closing the cymbals allow for symphonic possibilities. You can play the cymbals on the edge, play on the bell (top), roll, attack, be delicate, and my favorite – make the hi-hat roar. The first 7 minutes of the piece are entirely on hi-hats. Then I add in cymbals. That’s where the title of the piece comes from – it was printed on the back of one of the ride cymbals.
—Julia Wolfe
Watercolor Sun (2023)
Ivan Trevino | b. 1983
Watercolor Sun (2023) was commissioned by the Grammy-winning ensemble, Third Coast Percussion. It was written for the quartet to perform on one single 4.3 octave marimba. I have been friends with the members of Third Coast for many years and have watched them from afar with much admiration. It brings me great joy to write music for them.
There are moments in life that create a feeling I can’t quite describe. Like waking up in a sunlight room, or sharing a meal with old friends, or going on a road trip with someone you love. There’s a jovial, euphoric feeling to it. I feel it when I catch the sunrise with my family, and I feel it when I play music too. Maybe it is gratitude, or peace, or something in between. Whatever this feeling is, it is at the heart of Watercolor Sun.
—Ivan Trevino
Hip/no-tech (2024)
Michael Kurth | b. 1971
Hip/no-tech was written in 2023 for the smol ensemble's performance at Atlanta's SoundNow festival. The group used three toy pianos and two percussionists. The piece was subsequently reorchestrated for mallet percussion ensemble at the suggestion of Stuart Gerber of Georgia State University. Perhaps someone in the audience tonight will have another reochestration suggestion.
The title refers to the piece's hypnotic quality, and also alludes to music's capacity to remain hip, despite (because of?) a complete lack of digital technology used in its performance. It is the composer's wish that music exercise this power in perpetuity.
- notes from the composer
Flex (2023)
ANNA-LOUISE WALTON | B. 1991
In Flex, a table becomes an instrument, played with toy mallets and household objects. The performers play these items with careful technique, eliciting a variety of sounds, and blurring the line between object and instrument.
Anna-Louise Walton is an American composer of chamber, orchestral, and electronic music. In her music, she explores concepts of mimicry, the notation of improvisatory rhythms, and the utilization of household objects such as PVC pipe, shot glasses, and knitting needles.
Flowing, Blocking, Braiding (2024)
FELIPE PÉREZ SANTIAGO | B. 1973
This composition was originally composed for the choreographic-multimedia work "Braiding Time, Memory and Water" in collaboration with Choreographer Sue Schroeder and Core Dance, conceptual artist Jonathon Keats, and the Georgia State University Percussion Ensemble under the leadership of Stuart Gerber.
This piece is a tribute to the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta and aims to create consciousness of our environment and our relation with nature.
The river also plays a major role in its conception and live performance; because the creation, as well as the performance of the work, are based on the timing and flow of the river itself.
Now the piece is also presented in its concert version, without the dancers and visual elements, but still keeping the spirit of a community work.
Pillar IV (2014)
ANDY AKIHO | B. 1979
Seven Pillars by Andy Akiho explores the free spaces created within an organized structure. This evening-length work, comprising seven quartets and four solos, began with its central movement, Pillar IV. Originally commissioned as a stand-alone work, this piece contained a rigorous structure and motivic content that Akiho felt compelled to expand beyond its 10- minute capsule. Pillar IV became the nucleus for Seven Pillars, containing the DNA from which the other six quartets are built.
On the Woodpile (1932)
HARRY BREUER | 1921-1989
ARR. GORDON STOUT | B. 1952
Dylan Mantione, soloist
Written by Harry Breuer in 1932, On the Woodpile is a ragtime xylophone solo originally written for piano accompaniment. This rag is one of Breuer’s earliest non-improvised xylophone solos. According to the composer, “On the Woodpile is intentionally less flashy, not overloaded with notes, putting emphasis on rhythmic patterns rather than runs and embellishments”.
As marimbas grew in popularity and became more widely available, “Marimba Bands” consisting of a xylophone soloist and 3-4 marimba performers with trap percussion became a typical genre of chamber percussion repertoire in the 1970s with groups such as Nexus and The Eastman Marimba Band. World renowned percussionist and composer, Gordon Stout, arranged this rag for solo xylophone and Marimba Band.
Lauded as having “consummate virtuosity” by The New York Times, percussionist Stuart Gerber has performed extensively throughout the US, Europe, Australia, and Mexico as a soloist and chamber musician. He is Professor of Music at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
As an active performer of new works, Stuart has been involved in a number of world-premiere performances. He gave the world premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s last solo percussion work Himmels-Tür in Italy, and his percussion trio Mittwoch-Formel at the annual Stockhausen-Courses in Kürten, Germany. He has also given the US and Australian premieres of Stockhausen’s duo version of Nasenflügeltanz for percussion and synthesizer, and the US premiere of his solo percussion work Komet. Dr. Gerber was the faculty percussionist for the Stockhausen-Courses from 2005-2010 and has recorded a number of pieces for the Stockhausen Complete Edition released by the Stockhausen-Verlag.
In addition to his work with Stockhausen, Stuart has worked with many other notable composers, such as George Lewis, Vinko Globokar, Kaija Saariaho, Steve Reich, Tristan Murail, Frederic Rzewski, George Crumb, Tania Lèon, Michael Colgrass, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, and John Luther Adams.
Recent engagements include: The Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film, Video, and Music Festival, the Montreal New Music Festival, Electronic Music Malta Festival, The Eduardo MATA Festival in Oaxaca, Mexico, the KLANG Festival at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico, the Now Festival in Tallinn, Estonia, the Chihuahua International Music Festival in Mexico, the Gulbenkian Center in Lisbon, Portugal, the South Bank Centre in London, the Ultraschall Festival in Berlin, Germany, the Melbourne Recital Centre, Australia, the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, as well as, a performance with Stewart Copeland (the legendary drummer for The Police) at the Savannah Music Festival in Georgia.
Stuart has extensive recording experience and can be heard on Cantaloupe Records, Oberlin Records, Albany Records, Centaur Records, Innova Records, Urtext Digital Classics, Aucourant Records, Bridge Records, Capstone Records, Telarc, Code Blue Records, Mode Records, Wesleyan University Press, the Stockhausen-Verlag, and Vienna Modern Masters.
As a pedagogue Dr. Gerber has recently presented a lecture-recital at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) as well as papers at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu. He has given numerous master classes at conservatories and universities around the US and abroad. Recent master classes include: the Curtis Institute, the New England Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, Arizona State University, the University of Texas-Austin, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of Montreal, the Tallin (Estonia) Conservatory of Music, the Southbank Centre (London), and the Sydney Conservatory and the Victoria College of Arts in Australia.
Stuart is a founding member of the Atlanta-based new music group Bent Frequency, performs internationally as one half of the synthesizer-percussion duo Poèmes Électroniques, and is regularly heard as extra percussionist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Gerber received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin College Conservatory where he studied with Michael Rosen and a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). His teachers at CCM were Allen Otte, Russell Burge, and James Culley of the Percussion Group Cincinnati. He has also done advanced studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany, with Professor Andreas Boettger.
Dr. Kellen King is currently an Artist Affiliate at Georgia State University and Reinhardt University. Prior to his appointments at GSU and RU, he was Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Western Oregon University. Kellen has most recently been published in the August 2022 Edition of Percussive Notes and has presented at OMEA in 2021 and 2022 in addition to performing at PASIC, TMEA, and MMC. He is currently a member of the Percussive Arts Society Music Technology Committee and has previously served as the Oregon PAS Chapter Secretary. Kellen is an avid educator, researcher, and well-versed performer in classical and contemporary percussion, having spent most of career focusing on solo, chamber, and electroacoustic music. As an educator, Kellen has previously instructed at Western Oregon University, Mercer University, The University of Texas at Austin, Ithaca College, and Cornell University.
Kellen has taught and arranged music at an array of music organizations across the United States; teaching elite competitive marching band, applied lessons, steel pan ensembles, jazz ensembles, masterclasses, and chamber music. During his education, Kellen studied with Dr. Thomas Burritt, Gordon Stout, Judy Moonert, Tony Edwards, Conrad Alexander, and Greg Evans.
Kellen earned his degrees from Western Michigan University (B.M. Music Education and Music Performance), Ithaca College (M.M. Percussion Performance), and The University of Texas at Austin (D.M.A. Percussion Performance).
Kellen is an artist and clinician for Innovative Percussion, Black Swamp Percussion, Zildjian Cymbals, and Remo Drumheads.
Credits:
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