UMBC Percussion Ensemble

The UMBC Percussion Ensemble presents an outdoor concert, originally performed on November 14, entitled Fan Mail Ex. The program, directed by Tom Goldstein and featuring performers Alex Armbruster, Neil Bolima, Connor Fuerst, Garrett Frock, Brandon Gouin, Kyra O’Donnell, and Adam Smith, includes premieres and works written for the ensemble:

• The Single Stroke Roll Meditation (1973) by Pauline Oliveros
• Speed Wobbles (2020) by Tom Goldstein
• No Money (1998) by Angela Lawrence (written for the UMBC Percussion Ensemble)
• Quintopia  (2017) by Jared Denhard (world premiere, percussion version)
• Steampunkin’ (2017) by Jared Denhard (world premiere, percussion version)
• Shifting Evanescence (2020) by Jeffrey Martin (world premiere, written for the UMBC Percussion Ensemble)
• Indeterminacy (1959) performed simultaneously with But what about the noise of crumpling paper which he used to do in order to paint the series of “papiers froisses” or tearing up paper to make “papiers dechires?” Arp was stimulated by water (sea, lake, and flowing waters like rivers), forests (1985) by John Cage

The UMBC Percussion Ensemble is highly adventurous in its programming, with a repertoire that includes graphic-notation pieces, improvisational works and theater pieces, as well as works by important early percussion composers such as John Cage, Carlos Chavez, and Alan Hovhaness. The ensemble has premiered many pieces, and has also established a tradition of performing works by UMBC’s faculty and student composers. The group often performs at outside universities and has collaborated with visual artists at local galleries. It has had performances in New York City, and has appeared at Artscape, Baltimore’s highly acclaimed summer arts festival.