Chicago premiere: Third Coast Percussion Presents Jessie Montgomery's First Work for Percussion

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THIRD COAST PERCUSSION 

presents Chicago premiere of the first percussion composition by 

2024® GRAMMY Award winner and CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence, 

JESSIE MONTGOMERY

a powerful collaboration between two Chicago GRAMMY® winners

Photo credits: left-right

Third Coast Percussion, photo by Saverio Truglia.

TCP with Jessie Montgomery, photo by Colin D Campbell.

Jessie Montgomery, photo by Jiyang Chen.

Third Coast Percussion (TCP), the Chicago-based GRAMMY® Award-winning quartet of classically trained percussionists, is a top favorite of ours here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows. Their live shows are truly a treat. If you're a fan of percussion, classical music, and/or breathtaking live shows, don't miss this!

TCP is back in Chicago this May with a new collaborative concert Jessie Montgomery + Third Coast Percussion with the acclaimed composer and violinist, featuring the Chicago premiere of the 2024 GRAMMY® winning composer’s first-ever work for percussion ensemble. The concert takes place at the Holtschneider Performance Center of DePaul University, 2330 N. Halsted St. on Friday May 3, 7:30 p.m. Tickets, priced at $50 premium (includes premium seating and post-show reception with artists), $25 general, and $10 student, are now on sale at thirdcoastpercussion.com.

Acclaimed composer, violinist, and educator Jessie Montgomery is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer-in-Residence and a 2024 GRAMMY® Award winner for Best Contemporary Classical Composition (Rounds for solo piano and string orchestra). TCP is thrilled to collaborate with Montgomery in a dynamic program that equally showcases her excellence as visionary creator and virtuosic performer. Study No. 1, her first-ever work for percussion ensemble, draws a vast universe of sounds out of a compact set of instruments. In addition to composing, Montgomery joins the ensemble and percussionist She-e Wu on stage to perform Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Violin with Percussion Orchestra–a tour de force that draws inspiration from the vibrant sounds of Javanese gamelan. The program also features captivating works by Armenian jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan, contemporary icon Philip Glass, and flute + electronics duo Flutronix.

David Skidmore, TCP ensemble member and executive director, shares the genesis of the collaboration, what it means for the ensemble, and unique aspects of the performance: “Jessie Montgomery is one of the most exciting and in-demand composers working today, and when she moved to Chicago we immediately wanted to try to cook something up with her. Fortunately for us, she was just beginning a series of percussion-focused compositions so the timing worked out. Her Study No. 1 is entrancing and focused, contrasting between bright and dark, while the ensemble experiments with unique setups such as pitch bending tom-toms, resonant metals, and bowls of water. Also on the program, Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Violin and Percussion is majestic and mysterious with grandiose, visually compelling drums and gongs, complemented by intense virtuosic violin playing. That we get to share the stage with Jessie for the Concerto feels like a once-in-a-lifetime bonus.”

 

Jessie Montgomery shares the concept for her first composition for percussion ensembles: “Study No. 1 for percussion quartet explores a wide range of timbres within a somewhat confined instrumentation. Each player’s setup has at most four individual instruments using various implements to create a spectrum of sound from rounded and chorale-like to metallic, bright, and playful. There are three main sections, the heart of which is inspired by marching band cadences, bookended by sections that are inspired by the West African ‘talking drum’ in which various types of pitch bending and speech-like rhythmic patterns are explored. Aside from composing, I am especially thrilled to take the stage with TCP for Harrison’s Concerto, which articulates our collaborative spirit. The entire concert program is a perfect representation of the Venn diagram of our collective practices, in various roles as performers, composers, interpreters, and arrangers.”

The eclectic concert program is as follows:

Tigran Hamasyan (arr. by Peter Martin): Etude no. 1

Philip Glass (arr. by Third Coast Percussion): Aguas da Amazonia

– Purus River

– Negro River

– Madeira River

Flutronix / Third Coast Percussion: Rubix

– Play

– Go

(Intermission)

Jessie Montgomery (arr. by Sean Connors): Suite from In Color

– Red

– The Poet

– Purple

Jessie Montgomery: Study No. 1 *Chicago premiere*

Lou Harrison: Concerto for Violin with Percussion Orchestra

—Jessie Montgomery, violin soloist

—She-e Wu and Third Coast Percussion, percussion

 

About Jessie Montgomery

Jessie Montgomery is an acclaimed composer, violinist, educator, and a 2024 GRAMMY® Award winner for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. She is the recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation, the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, and her works are performed frequently around the world by leading musicians and ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Chicago Sinfonietta. In May 2021, she began her three-year appointment as the Mead Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Her music interweaves classical music with elements of vernacular music, improvisation, poetry, and social consciousness, making her an acute interpreter of 21st century American sound and experience. Her profoundly felt works have been described as “turbulent, wildly colorful and exploding with life” (The Washington Post). A founding member of PUBLIQuartet and former member of the Catalyst Quartet, she continues to maintain an active performance career as a violinist appearing regularly with her own ensembles, as well as with the Silkroad Ensemble and Sphinx Virtuosi.

About Third Coast Percussion

Third Coast Percussion (comprised of Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, David Skidmore) is a GRAMMY® Award-winning Chicago-based percussion quartet and GRAMMY®-nominated composer collective. For nearly two decades, the ensemble has created exciting and unexpected performances that constantly redefine the classical music experience. The ensemble has been praised around the country for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of its recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune). A commission for a new work from composer Augusta Read Thomas in 2012 led to the realization that commissioning new musical works can be—and should be—as collaborative as any other artistic partnership. Through extensive workshopping and close contact with composers, Third Coast Percussion has commissioned and premiered new works by Philip Glass, Missy Mazzoli, Clarice Assad, Gemma Peacocke, Flutronix, Jlin, Tyondai Braxton, Augusta Read Thomas, Devonté Hynes, Georg Friedrich Haas, Donnacha Dennehy, Glenn Kotche, Christopher Cerrone, and David T. Little, among others, in addition to many of today’s leading up-and-coming composers through its Currents Creative Partnership program. Third Coast Percussion currently serves as ensemble-in-residence at Denison University. More information on Third Coast Percussion HERE.

 

THIRD COAST PERCUSSION Presents Chicago Premiere of SINCE TIME BEGAN December 5, 2023 Only

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THIRD COAST PERCUSSION presents Chicago premiere of

SINCE TIME BEGAN

an epic new work by its mentor, percussion master Michael Burritt celebrating the 400-year history of the Avedis Zildjian Company at DePaul University Holtschneider Performance Center, 

on Tuesday, December 5 

The one-night-only performance will feature 32 Zildjian cymbals of all sizes and tones on stage in honor of the world’s leading maker of cymbals

 Michael Burritt, courtesy of the artist.

The Zildjian cymbals vault. Courtesy of the Avedis Zildjian Company.

Third Coast Percussion ensemble members passing instruments including a Zildjian cymbal. Photo by Saverio Truglia.

Third Coast Percussion (TCP), a GRAMMY® Award-winning quartet of classically trained percussionists, proudly presents the Chicago premiere of Since Time Began, a monumental work composed by the ensemble’s mentor and a pioneer of percussion chamber music Michael Burritt. In celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Avedis Zildjian Company, the world's leading manufacturer of cymbals, the concert will feature an arsenal of 32 Zildjian cymbals among other percussion instruments. The one-night-only performance will take place at Gannon Concert Hall, Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University, 2330 N. Halsted St., on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 premium (includes premium seating and post-show reception with artists), $25 general, and $10 student, and are now on sale at thirdcoastpercussion.com.

For this special performance, the ensemble reunites with its mentor, former Northwestern University professor Michael Burritt, who was fundamental in the forming of the group and its music style. One of his generation’s leading percussionists, Burritt is a pioneer of advancing percussion in chamber music, and his compositions for percussion have become standard repertoire for soloists and ensembles around the globe.

Since Time Began presents a 40-minute percussion quartet in four movements, each sonically representing one century in the history of the iconic Avedis Zildjian Company. With its cymbals first launched for the Ottoman army band under Sultan Mustafa during the Baroque period, Zildjian— meaning “son of cymbal maker”—is now used by classical, rock, jazz musicians and beyond on main stages all across the world. Commissioned by the Avedis Zildjian Company and written for Third Coast Percussion, this piece features a traditional mallet quartet of two marimbas and two vibraphones, surrounded by an arsenal of 32 Zildjian cymbals, 20 drums, plus custom-made metal plates and pipes.

David Skidmore, Third Coast Percussion Executive Director and ensemble member, reflects on the connection with Burritt and its significance to the ensemble: “Michael Burritt is really the reason our ensemble exists. In the early 2000s we studied under him at Northwestern University, which was the origin of our Chicago roots. His passion for chamber music has shaped the field and become influential for many. To premiere his new piece 20 years after we met makes a perfect full circle of how we are celebrating our past by creating new works for the future. This exciting new work encompasses patterns and flows of great dynamic contrast, from electric, energetic, to mystical, moody, and much more. The stage will be filled from end to end with a parade of percussion instruments, while the ensemble makes a special entrance onto the stage. We are greatly looking forward to experiencing a historic moment with the audience, our mentor, and the iconic Zildjian brand.”

Audience favorites written by some of TCP’s recent collaborators round out this program, featuring some of the most exciting and virtuosic music TCP has ever performed, including Clarice Assad’s The Hero, Gemma Peacocke’s Death Wish, and Machado Mijiga’s Situations Suite, before culminating with Since Time Began.

 

About Michael Burritt

Having performed on four continents and in more than forty states, Michael Burritt is one of his generation's most accomplished percussionists. He is in frequent demand performing concert tours and master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. Burritt has been soloist with the United States Air Force Band, Dallas Wind Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Nexus, The Paris Percussion Group (France), The Amadinda Percussion Group (Hungary), Ju Percussion Group (Taiwan), Percussion Art Quartet (Germany) and the Amores Percussion Group (Spain). Burritt has performed solo concerts in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls including Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, The Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and National Performing Arts Center in Beijing and The Kennedy Center. He has extensive chamber and orchestral experience, and has performed with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, The Chicago Symphony and The Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra. Burritt is also active as a composer, with three concertos to his credit as well as numerous solo and chamber works for percussion. His works for solo marimba have become standard repertoire for the instrument and are frequently required repertoire on international competitions. Burritt was the President of Percussive Arts Society from 2021-22, and currently holds the Paul J. Burgett Distinguished Professorship at The Eastman School of Music, where he received his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees, as well as the prestigious Performers Certificate. Burritt was Professor of Percussion at Northwestern University from 1995-2008 where he developed a program of international distinction.

About Third Coast Percussion

With nearly two decades of spellbinding performances to its name, Chicago-based quartet Third Coast Percussion (Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, and David Skidmore) is the first percussion ensemble to win a GRAMMY® Award. Also nominated for a GRAMMY® as a composer collective, TCP recasts the classical musical experience with a brilliantly varied sonic palette, crafting music to “push percussion in new directions, blurring musical boundaries and beguiling new listeners” (NPR). The ensemble celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025, having blossomed from percussion students who met in 2005 at Northwestern University into a thriving nonprofit organization.

With their eclectic taste and approachable sensibility, TCP has been praised for the “rare power” (The Washington Post) and “inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune) of tours across the U.S. and four continents. The ensemble’s recordings include 17 feature albums and appearances on 14 additional releases, including its GRAMMY®-winning recording of Steve Reich’s works for percussion. It has commissioned and premiered new works from such artists as Augusta Read Thomas, Philip Glass, Missy Mazzoli, David T. Little, Danny Elfman, and Jlin – whose TCP commission Perspective was a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist. The quartet also serves as ensemble-in-residence at Denison University in Ohio.

Third Coast Percussion is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. More information on Third Coast Percussion HERE.