Saturday, February 18, 2023 @ 8:00pm – 9:30pm (EST)
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Pay-what-you-can, $5-$100 (registered UMD students free)

William Thomas McKinleyAgain the Distant Bells (world premiere)
Chris Shultis — Selected works (US premiere)
Thomas DeLio — Selected works (US premiere)
Mathias Steinauer — Selected works (US premiere)
Lars Heusser — Selected works (US premiere)
Luca Steffelbach — Selected works (US premiere)
Giacomo Platini — Selected works (US premiere)

Acclaimed in Europe's contemporary music scene, Lugano Percussion Ensemble is based in its namesake city in Switzerland's only majority-Italian-speaking Canton. Its first members were students at the Swiss Italian Conservatory (CSI/Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana) led by Professor Mircea Ardeleanu. It focused on contemporary music with a particular attention to the fusion of musical and theatrical language elements and a continuous sound research. The current ensemble includes one principal conductor, six percussionists and is often accompanied by an assortment of solo instrumentalists.

The ensemble makes their Clarice debut with a program of world and US premiere works by Chris Shultis, UMD composition professor Thomas Delio, Mathias Steinauer, Lars Heusser, Luca Steffelbach, Giacomo Platini, and a pair of works by William Thomas McKinley, including the world premiere of Again the Distant Bells featuring vibist/marimbist Joe Locke.

About Lugano Percussion Ensemble

Lugano is a lakeside city in Canton Ticino of Switzerland. It's an only majority Italian-speaking Canton of the country. The location has fostered quite unique cultures especially in the contemporary music scene of Europe.

Lugano Percussion Ensemble was first formed as Lugano Percussion Group at the Swiss Italian Conservatory (CSI/Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana) by Professor Mircea Ardeleanu, known for his numerous international specialization courses and for his several recordings. The Group focused on contemporary music with a particular attention to the fusion of musical and theatrical language elements and a continuous sound research.

After various concerts on the Swiss scene (Lausanne, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Winterthur, Lugano, Murten Expo.02, Radiotelevisione Svizzera Italiana), in 2002 the Group won a scholarship in Darmstadt for the International Summer Courses for New Music. In 2004 it took part in the "Martha Argerich Project" recording together with the famous pianist for the renowned record company Deutsche Grammophon.

Over the years, the Group has recomposed a new ensemble for the concert tour of Iran in 2018 welcoming percussionists graduated from CSI percussion class of prof. Bernhard Wulff and also from Milano Conservatory.

The new Lugano Percussion Ensemble, based in Lugano, includes one principal conductor, six stable percussionists and it is often accompanied by four solo instruments: three pianos and a celeste. The ensemble mainly presents premier pieces of new composers, especially from Switzerland. In 2019, the ensemble made concert tours to Bolivia and Finland. Two new pieces by Swiss composer were performed in the tour. Benjamin Lang (Professor of composition at HMT Rostock) composed "Canyon of Ölfusà" and Mathias Steinauer (Professor at the ZHdk) dedicated his “L'arpentage des ones" to LPE. Steinauer has strongly been supporting young Swiss musicians as well as this ensemble.

The Lugano Percussion Ensemble is designated a non-profit organization by Caton Ticino in 2020. We are always planning many projects, new music commissions and masterclasses all over the world.

https://www.luganopercussion.com/

About Joe Locke, vibraphone & marimba

Joe Locke is widely considered to be one of the major voices of his instrument. He has performed and recorded with a diverse range of notable musicians, including Grover Washington Jr, Raul Midón, Kenny Barron, Eddie Henderson, Cecil Taylor, Dianne Reeves, Eddie Palmieri, Ron Carter, The Beastie Boys, the Münster Symphony Orchestra, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the Orchestra da Camera della Sardegna and the Lincoln, Nebraska Symphony.

https://joelocke.com/