Percussion

Welcome to percussion at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music!

The CU Boulder Percussion Ensemble is an integral part of the percussion curriculum, providing students with essential chamber music experience and bridging the gap between academic study and professional performance. The ensemble offers students an enriching musical experience that opens their ears to sound, color, texture and collaboration—the essence of cohesive music-making that creates a product greater than the sum of its parts. We’re dedicated to exploring diverse repertoire ranging from classic works of the percussion ensemble literature to contemporary compositions, world music traditions and commissioned premieres.

Students develop advanced technical abilities, artistic expression and collaborative skills through performances spanning multiple genres and styles. All percussion students also participate in the Brazilian bateria ensemble, immersing themselves in the rich rhythmic traditions of Brazilian percussion and ensemble playing. The program regularly features new music and maintains a strong commitment to commissioning and premiering works by both emerging and established composers. Performance opportunities include concerts on campus and in the community for a variety of formal and informal events and celebrations.

This academic year, the Percussion Ensemble presents an exceptional season featuring distinguished guest artists and compelling repertoire. Highlights include collaborations with Professor of Flute Christina Jennings; Matt Howard, principal percussion of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; world-renowned Brazilian percussionist Jorge Alabe and others. The season’s repertoire features Steve Reich’s “Six Marimbas,” André Jolivet’s “Second Concerto for Flute and Percussion,” Andrea Venet’s “Bulldog,” Annika Socolofsky’s “Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows,” a Gary Burton/Makoto Ozone transcription for mallet quartet and the world premiere of Edgard Varèse’s “Ionisation”—a CU Boulder percussion commission—among many other works.

The Percussion Ensemble is further committed to recording both new and established works for percussion and percussion with other instruments. Beginning in fall 2025, the ensemble will embark on a multiyear recording project featuring guest artists and collaborators. These performances and recordings provide students invaluable opportunities to work alongside world-class artists while performing both cutting-edge and classic repertoire.

Personnel