USC Percussion Group

Every time you go to a percussion concert, the experience usually resonates beyond the normal concert hall boundaries and genres. Exploration of rhythm, sounds and color are limitless in this percussion world of music making. For this program we present works that have been written within the past ten years, three of them within the past five years. The first three pieces on the program all have a similar instrumentaion – all players playing the same setup of instruments, constantly developing and searching as one. The final piece on the program is believed to be Crumb’s final written work and we’re very excited to be able to present it here, as part of the California Festival. In comparison to the first half, it is a total explosion of instruments (almost 100) and color. Evoking an other-worldly experience, treading the line where nature meets sound in an endless exploration of time and color.

The USC Percussion Group, directed by Joseph Pereira, principal timpani of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is dedicated to exploring new voices with a relevant message, and at the same time, important forward-looking works from the past.

The ensemble, which includes students from the USC Thornton Winds & Percussion program, frequently collaborates with guest composers and premieres new works, often with artists from Los Angeles’s thriving new music scene.

The USC Percussion Group has appeared on the LA Phil’s Green Umbrella
series, performing the music of Ondrej Adamek, Panayiotis Kokoras, John Luther Adams, Michael Van der Aa, Rolf Wallin and George Antheil’s Ballet Mécanique. Their repertoire includes works by Mark Applebaum, Edmund Campion, Elliott Carter, Franco Donatoni, Gérard Grisey, Sofia Gubijdulina, Fritz Hauser, Ted Hearne, Lukas Ligeti, Anthony Pateras, Toru Takamitsu and Fellipe Waller and includes notable world and West Coast premieres.

The Percussion Group has championed the work of composers John Cage and Lou Harrison, earning praise from the Los Angeles Times for their “Cage at 100” retrospective. Other notable programs include the “Made in CA” and “Made in LA” concerts that featured the work of USC Thornton faculty composer Ted Hearne.

As Percussion majors at the USC Thornton School of Music, members of the ensemble cultivate a lifelong enthusiasm and excitement for performance, which transcends all artistic borders.

Joseph Pereira, Director
Members 2023

Kana Funayama

David Lee
Brandon Lim
Marcos Salgado
Preston Spisak
Leigh Wilson