Arts and Entertainment

Mallet, percussion ensembles to perform Oct. 26

Penn State Percussion Studio Credit: Annemarie Mountz / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State's Mallet Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble I will present their first performances of the 2016-17 school year at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, in Esber Recital Hall. Percussion students Kyle McKay and Christian Lopez are featured in a program that includes the works of two Pulitzer Prize-winning composers. The ensembles are directed by Penn State percussion professor Dan C. Armstrong. Admission is free.

Program

Mallet Ensemble

  • Waltz (from Eugene Onegin, Op. 24) — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, arranged by John Rack
  • The Banjo — Louis M. Gottschalk, arranged by Stephen Mattheisen
  • Spanish Waltz — George Hamilton Green, arranged by Bob Becker (Kyle McKay, xylophone soloist)
  • Unleash the Fury — Nathan Daughtrey
  • The Choo-Choo Train — Traditional, arranged by Ruth Jeanne

Percussion Ensemble I

  • Reflections — Steven Stucky*
  • Prelude for Percussion — Malloy Miller
  • Elite Syncopations — Scott Joplin, arranged by David J. Long
  • Nightwalking VII — Rick Sanford
  • As One — Ivan Trevino (Christian Lopez and Kyle McKay)
  • Three Brothers — Michael Colgrass*

*This year marks the 100th awarding of the Pulitzer Prizes. The first Pulitzer Prize for music was awarded in 1943 to William Schuman. Penn State School of Music faculty, students, and ensembles will be performing a variety of works by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers during the 2016-17 season. Steven Stucky won the award in 2005 for "Second Concerto for Orchestra."  Michael Colgrass won the 1978 award for "Deja Vu for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra."

The Mallet Ensemble performs music either written for or arranged for mallet-played keyboard percussion instruments and consists of three to eight players. Literature ranges from transcribed orchestral and chamber music to contemporary compositions written specifically for mallet ensemble. Enrollment is by audition with the conductor.

Percussion Ensemble I performs a variety of music written for four to 12 players, including contemporary music written for percussion as well as arrangements. Instrumentation includes all types of percussion, from familiar drums and cymbals to exotic items from around the world. Through participation, students learn the art of ensemble performing and augment their understanding of the role of percussion within the discipline of music. They also learn the skills of organization and cooperation through rehearsal and performance. The ensembles have appeared frequently at meetings of the Music Educators National Conference and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. Enrollment is by audition with the conductor.

 

Last Updated October 25, 2016