Praised by Time Out Chicago for “chops, polish, and youthful joy in performing,†Third Coast Percussion uses an impressive array of percussion instruments to create a performance experience like no other. With exceptional talent and dedicated artistry, this “sonically spectacular†(Chicago Tribune) quartet combines the driving intensity of drums, the beautiful warmth of marimbas and vibraphones, and the surprisingly exotic sounds of everyday objects to make music that is playful, memorable and profound. In performances around the country, the Chicago-based ensemble has swiftly gained national attention for effortlessly combining the energy of a rock concert with the precision and sophistication of classical chamber music.
Third Coast Percussion has established a reputation for its commitment to expanding percussion repertoire and setting the highest standard in new music performance. Passionately dedicated to modern music, Third Coast has commissioned, premiered, and performed pieces by many of today’s preeminent up-and-coming composers, programming them alongside 20th century masterpieces for percussion.
The group maintains an active touring schedule throughout the country presenting concerts and master classes for an extraordinarily wide range of audiences. In the 2008-09 season Third Coast was the featured ensemble at the 2nd Annual Round Top Percussion Festival, in addition to presenting concerts and master classes in Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. In past seasons the ensemble has brought concerts to the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Society, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Rush Hour Concert Series.
Third Coast Percussion also has the distinction of being the only professional percussion ensemble in the country to present a full season of concert percussion music. In their hometown of Chicago, the group performs 4 to 5 concerts each season. The ensemble is dedicated to performing the greatest concert percussion music alongside lesserknown and rarely performed master pieces. The group has programmed pieces by many of the great composers of the 20th and 21st century including Luciano Berio, Steve Reich, Frederic Rzewski, Louis Andriessen, Wolfgang Rihm, and George Crumb. Third Coast is also active in developing new works, having commissioned and premiered pieces by Ted Hearne, Kirsten Broberg, Marcos Balter, Andrew McKenna Lee, Mark Berger, and Aaron Travers, among others. Future premieres include commissioned works by Matthew Barnson, David T. Little and Sarah Kirkland Snider.
The members of Third Coast Percussion—Owen Clayton Condon, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, and David Skidmore—hold degrees in music performance from Northwestern University, the Yale School of Music, the New England Conservatory, and Rutgers University.
See Third Coast Percussion's performance from the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage here!