World-renowned percussion ensemble to perform at Rice

World-renowned percussion ensemble to perform at Rice
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BY ELLEN CHANG
Rice News Staff

A world-renowned
contemporary percussion ensemble, NEXUS, will perform its
highly acclaimed repertoire of percussion masterworks, ragtime,
world music, group improvisations and compositions by its
members at a concert
Jan. 17.

NEXUS will perform
at 8 p.m. in Stude Concert Hall, Alice Pratt Brown Hall,
as part of the contemporary concert series SYZYGY, New Music
at Rice.

NEXUS is known
for its innovative programming and musical curiosity that
has inspired compositions from other great composers.

The five-man
ensemble began captivating audiences in 1971. They have
been dubbed the “high priests of the percussion world.”

An entertaining
and versatile ensemble, NEXUS always performs diverse programs,
said Richard Brown, professor of percussion at Rice University.

“It’s
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear a group like this
perform,” he said. “They take the art of percussion
playing to the highest level. If you’ve never heard
a percussion ensemble before, this will expose you to what
percussion ensemble playing is all about.”

The upcoming
concert will include works by Toru Takemitsu, Steve Reich,
Russell Hartenberger and George Hamilton Green.

The ensemble
performs with dozens of different types of instruments,
from tuned mallet keyboards, such as marimbas, xylophones
and vibraphones, to zithers, harmonicas, flutes and primitive
accordions.

The current members
are Bob Becker, Bill Cahn, Robin Engelman, Russell Hartenberger
and Garry Kvistad.

NEXUS said that
depending on the selected works, the textures and tempos
may invoke moods that can be calm and gentle or thrilling
and vibrant.

The group has
toured various countries, including Australia, New Zealand,
Asia, Brazil, Scandinavia and Europe. They have appeared
regularly in the United States and Canada.

NEXUS has been
featured at several international music festivals, including
the Adelaide Festival, the Holland Festival, the Budapest
Spring Festival, the Singapore Arts Festival, the Tanglewood,
Ravinia and Blossom music festivals, the BBC Proms in London
and the Music Today and Music Joy festivals in Tokyo.

Widely popular,
they have been featured on the CBS national program “Sunday
Morning” and on numerous PBS broadcasts, and they can
be heard regularly on CBC radio.

They currently
are working with the distinguished composer Ellen Taaffe
Zwilich on a new concerto that will be premiered with the
Iris Orchestra of Memphis and conducted by Michael Stern.

NEXUS has released
12 compact discs. They have been the recipient of many awards,
including the 1997 Banff Centre for the Arts National Award
and the Toronto Arts Award in 1989. They were inducted into
the 1999 Percussive Arts Society’s Hall of Fame.

Tickets for the
performance are $10; $8 for students and senior citizens.
Call (713) 348-8000 for more information.