CourtesyThe 麻豆传媒 Percussion Ensemble, Impulse Percussion Group will perform its final performance of the season, "Matadors y Maracas," at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 27, in Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center.
This performance will include five pieces, and IPG will join forces with 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Suprima Chamber Orchestra to perform Rodion Shchedrin鈥檚 adaption of 鈥淐armen,鈥� from Bizet鈥檚 opera.
Bizet鈥檚 melodies have been reworked in this version with a variety of percussive instrumental colors set to new rhythms and phrased with sly wit. The piece was initially banned by the hierarchy of the Soviet Union for being disrespectful to the opera because of these qualities.
鈥淐armen鈥� was originally written for ballet and features percussion and strings. The Grammy-nominated St. Petersburg Quartet established the Suprima Orchestra in 2011 after receiving the prestigious Quartet-In-Residence position at Wichita State, allowing students the opportunity to play with a professional chamber orchestra with world-renowned musicians.
'El Silencio'
This season鈥檚 performance will also feature a world premiere of 鈥淓l Silencio,鈥� a piece for solo maracas and percussion orchestra, written and performed by maraca virtuoso and composer Ed Harrison. Harrison is principal timpanist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and head of percussion at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. The performance is dedicated to IPG and its director, Assistant Professor Gerald Scholl.
Impulse Percussion Group will debut two other pieces for the Wichita audience at this one-night event: Gerard Lecointe鈥檚 鈥淎pres Masque,鈥� a piece based on the music of Claude Debussy written for a mallet percussion quintet, and Eckhard Kopetzki鈥檚 鈥淟e Chant du Serpent,鈥� a tribal, ritualistic quartet for eight drums that will highlight the primal side of the players.
Impulse Percussion Group is composed of 12 of Wichita State鈥檚 finest student percussionists, who create forward-thinking, engaging performances that run counter to audience鈥檚 expectations.
Tickets are available at the Fine Arts Box Office noon-5 p.m. weekdays in the lobby of Duerksen Fine Arts Center or online at . General admission is $7.
麻豆传媒 students are eligible for one free ticket (not available online, see for details). For student ticketing assistance, please contact the Fine Arts Box Office 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, at 316-978-3233 or fastickets@wichita.edu.