Percussion Ensemble

Jim Walker, Director

The Keene State College Percussion Ensemble has presented exciting and diverse concerts for decades. The musicians are comprised of percussion majors, music majors, minors and non-majors. The current director of the ensemble is Jim Walker, and past directors have included Christopher Swist, Amy Garapic, William Hanley, Gary Spellissey, John Kelley, Nathan Davis, and Murray Mast.

 

 

Composers often represented on KSC Percussion Ensemble programs include Harrison, Cage, Cowell, Varèse, Rouse, Lepak, Miki, Reich, Ney Rosauro, Anthony Miranda, David Macbride, Ivan Trevino, John Luther Adams, and Bobby Previte, as well as faculty composers Craig Sylvern, Nathan Davis, Ted Mann, Heather Gilligan, and Christopher Swist.

The KSC Percussion Ensemble also often performs “fusion” works by the likes of Pat Metheney, Spyro Gyra, Frank Zappa, Chick Corea… where the classical percussion instruments blend with a fusion rhythm section. Just a few of the guest artists presenting concerts or masterclasses with the ensemble include West Point Percussion Quartet, Jim Walker, Grupo PIAP, Quey Percussion Duo, Ben Toth, Sylvia Smith Duo, Rogerio Boccato, Doug Perkins, Ronni Kot Wenzell, Craig Bitterman, Nancy Zeltsman, Frank Epstein, Don “The Junkman” Knaack, Robert Paterson, Matt Ward, Amy Williams, Bill Solomon, Joe Schwantner, TIGUE, and Jan Williams.

Performing on everything from a 5-octave marimba to a conch shell, the instrumentation and styles run the table of color and possibility. This semester’s concert theme is “hand-held.” Here’s a little sample.