So Percussion

So Percussion
Name	So Percussion
Background	group_or_band
Origin	New York City, United States
Years active	1999–present
Genre	Contemporary classical, experimental, new music
Label	Cantaloupe Music, New Amsterdam Records, New Focus Recordings, Brassland

So Percussion is an American contemporary percussion quartet based in New York City known for commissioning and performing experimental and contemporary classical works, interdisciplinary collaborations, and adventurous programming. The ensemble has premiered compositions by leading composers, engaged with choreographers, visual artists, and theater makers, and recorded on labels associated with modern music. Their work intersects with prominent institutions, festivals, and universities across the United States and internationally.

History

So Percussion was founded in 1999 in New York City by a group of musicians active in downtown scenes connected to Bang on a Can, Meredith Monk, John Cage, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Iannis Xenakis. Early residencies and performances linked them to venues and organizations such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Bang on a Can Marathon, and Miller Theatre. The ensemble developed relationships with presenters including The Kitchen, MoMA PS1, Tanglewood Music Center, and Hudson Valley festivals, expanding ties to European presenters like Wigmore Hall, MaerzMusik, and Donaueschingen Festival. Over time So Percussion cultivated commissioning partnerships with institutions such as Yale School of Music, Princeton University, Columbia University, Juilliard School, and New York University.

Members and Personnel

Core founding and current members have included musicians who studied at conservatories and universities such as Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard School, and New England Conservatory. Individual members have collaborated with artists and ensembles like Eighth Blackbird, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Alarm Will Sound, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and Trisha Brown Company. Administrative and artistic leadership roles connected them to presenters and funders including National Endowment for the Arts, Guggenheim Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, New Music USA, and Chamber Music America.

Repertoire and Commissions

The ensemble’s repertoire spans works by composers and dramatists such as David Lang, Julia Wolfe, Michael Gordon, Tyondai Braxton, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Iannis Xenakis, John Cage, Peter Ablinger, Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, Sean Shepherd, Tyshawn Sorey, Martin Bresnick, Georg Friedrich Haas, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Elliott Carter, Geoffrey Gordon, Don Byron, Pauline Oliveros, Christian Wolff, Anthony Davis, James Tenney, Alvin Lucier, Louis Andriessen, Michael Hersch, George Lewis, Reena Esmail, George Crumb, Ken Ueno, Daniel Wohl, Gavin Bryars, Tod Machover, Kronos Quartet, Julia Wolfe Quartet]. Major commissions have been supported by organizations like Fromm Music Foundation, Koussevitzky Music Foundation, American Composers Forum, and Yaddo.

Recordings and Media

So Percussion has released recordings on labels and platforms associated with contemporary music including Cantaloupe Music, New Amsterdam Records, New Focus Recordings, Brassland, and independent digital releases. Albums and projects have been featured by media outlets and broadcasters such as NPR Music, BBC Radio 3, WQXR, The New York Times, The Guardian, Pitchfork, The Washington Post, Le Monde', Die Zeit, The Wire (magazine), and Rolling Stone. The ensemble has produced multimedia projects and film collaborations screened at festivals including Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and Venice Biennale.

Collaborations and Projects

So Percussion’s collaborations span choreographers, composers, theater-makers, and visual artists such as Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown, Bill T. Jones, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Pina Bausch, Renee Green, Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley, Tan Dun, Sufjan Stevens, Bjork, Dirty Projectors, St. Vincent, Yo-Yo Ma, Bradford Cox, Shara Nova, Mary Halvorson, Marta Gomez, Nico Muhly, Katherine Liberovskaya, The Wooster Group, Robert Wilson, Taylor Mac, and Kendrick Lamar—engagements that brought them into festivals and venues such as All Tomorrow's Parties, SXSW, Greenwich Village showcases, and international tours across Europe, Asia, and South America.

Educational and Outreach Activities

So Percussion maintains strong pedagogical ties with conservatories and universities including Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Yale School of Music, Princeton University, Columbia University, New York University, New England Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, and Curtis Institute of Music. Outreach projects have partnered with community organizations like Jazz at Lincoln Center, Young People’s Chorus of New York City, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and school-based programs supported by New Music USA and National Endowment for the Arts. They have led residencies, masterclasses, and workshops at institutions such as Tanglewood Music Center, Bang on a Can Summer Festival, Skidmore College, Oberlin Conservatory, and Bard College.

Awards and Recognition

The ensemble’s work has been recognized by awards and honors from organizations including the Guggenheim Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Bessie Awards, ASCAP Foundation, Paul A. Fish Foundation, Fromm Music Foundation, City University of New York prizes, and citations from cultural institutions such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, MoMA, and The Rockefeller Foundation. Individual members and commissioned composers have received fellowships and awards such as the Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Awards, MacArthur Fellows Program, Guggenheim Fellowship, Rome Prize, Southbank Centre Prize, Nemmers Prize, Spellemannprisen, and prizes from BMI, ASCAP, and The American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Category:American percussion ensembles Category:Contemporary classical music ensembles