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 | | |  | | Maelström Percussion Ensemble |
| | | History of the Maelström Percussion Ensemble
The Genesis
The Maelström Percussion Ensemble was formed by four graduate students from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1982. SUNY Buffalo, one of the country's primary centers for new music since the days of the Creative Associates in the 1960's, has enjoyed a distinguished faculty and the frequent visits of many of the world's most influential composers and performers, including John Cage, Morton Feldman, Yvar Mikhashoff, Lukas Foss, and John Bergamo. Pre-eminent percussionist and UB professor Jan Williams profoundly affected Maelström's early development. Throughout the 1980's, the ensemble fine-tuned its mastery of the classic percussion repertoire as well as recent compositions by established and up-and-coming composers. An uncompromising dedication to contemporary chamber music has remained an important focus of the ensemble throughout its existence. Recent recordings include CD's for Hat Art Records of Switzerland featuring the music of John Cage (1995), Lou Harrison (1997), and James Tenney (1997).
Arts Education
In 1985, Maelström embraced another long-term commitment: bringing percussion and contemporary music to school-aged children. The ensemble has crafted highly successful programs that have been offered through the Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts, Young Audiences in Buffalo and Rochester, the Arts In Education Institute, and the Southern Tier Institute for the Arts. Maelström has developed its own arts in education program in "Day Of Percussion for Schools and Communities." This program for middle schools and high schools consists of a full day of assemblies, workshops, hands-on clinics, rehearsals, and coaching sessions, concluding with a formal concert and collaborations with student ensembles.
The Series
In 1987, Maelström began producing an annual concert series. As part of this series, the ensemble has collaborated with composers, William Albright, Nils Vigeland, and Matthew Harris, the Second Hand Dance Company, the Amherst Saxophone Quartet, and percussionist/composer, John Bergamo. Maelström's innovative programming and artistic excellence were quickly recognized and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. In 1989, the ensemble received a prestigious 3 year Residency Grant from Chamber Music America to expand on the concert series and develop community support. In recent years, the series has received additional support from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music.
New Directions, Programs, and Venues
Maelström's current line-up of musicians coalesced when long-time members Gary Rutkowski and Bob Accurso recruited Kirk Brundage in 1993 and John Bacon, Jr. in 1994. In addition to their extensive new music backgrounds, each member contributes a variety of experiences and expertise, from jazz and African and Latin American music to rock, classical, ragtime, and contemporary fusion. Maelström found that it could offer very different programming from one concert to the next or from one piece to the next. This culminated in the creation of its four current programs: Whirled Music, Jazz Alternative, New Music, and Pops/Variety. Maelström has consistently utilized this diversity of repertoire to reach out to new audiences, performing in concert halls, universities, outdoor festivals, and a variety of community celebrations. A Maelström performance appeals to the broadest range of concert-goers on an artistic level and as a most enjoyable evening of entertainment. It's creative. It's contemporary. It's exciting. It's unique. It's more than percussion music: it's great music played on percussion instruments. | | | | | | Online at: http://www.maelstrompercussion.com/ |
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