Sandbox Percussion + Andy Akiho: “Pentalateral”
Described as “exhilarating” by The New York Times and “utterly mesmerizing” by The Guardian, the Grammy Award-winning Sandbox Percussion and Portland’s own Pulitzer finalist and seven-time Grammy-nominated composer/percussionist Andy Akiho join forces for their latest evening-length collaboration—Pentalateral! A follow-up to their world-renowned performances and recording of Seven Pillars, Pentalateral will unite Sandbox’s mastery of all things percussion with Akiho’s artistry on steel pan to push the boundaries of contemporary classical music. This is an opportunity to be among the first to experience this groundbreaking “celebration of noise” (The New York Times), just a week after its world premiere at New York City’s 92nd Street Y.
Alberta Rose Theatre
Wednesday, 5/12 • 7:30 pm
Program
Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.
- ANDY AKIHO Pentalateral
Artists
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Sandbox Percussion
Percussion Ensemble
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Described as “exhilarating” (The New York Times) and “utterly mesmerizing” (The Guardian), Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion is dedicated to artistry in contemporary chamber music. The ensemble was brought together in 2011 by a love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together. Today, Sandbox Percussion captivates worldwide audiences with visually and aurally stunning performances.
Sandbox Percussion’s 2021 album, Seven Pillars, was nominated for two Grammy Awards—Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. The ensemble performed the piece more than 15 times throughout the United States and Europe last season, including at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
In the 2023-24 season, Sandbox Percussion performs Seven Pillars at the VIVO Music Festival (Columbus, OH), the New School (New York), APERIO, Music of the Americas (Houston), the Frost School of Music (Miami), Brown University (Providence, RI), and the Peace Center (Greenville, SC), among other venues.
This season, Sandbox Percussion also releases their fourth album, Wilderness, featuring the piece of the same name by experimental composer Jerome Begin. Other season highlights include two performances at the Park Avenue Armory (New York), featuring premieres by Chris Cerrone and Viet Cuong, a performance at the 92nd Street Y with pianist and new-music champion Conor Hanick featuring the New York premiere of two works composed for them by Christopher Cerrone and by Tyshawn Sorey, and an appearance at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Sandbox Percussion will also continue to champion Viet Cuong’s acclaimed concerto for percussion quartet, Re(new)al, including performances with the Des Moines Symphony and with the Albany Symphony, which commissioned the piece.
Besides maintaining an international performance schedule, Sandbox Percussion holds the position of Ensemble-in-Residence and percussion faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and The New School’s College of Performing Arts. In 2016, Sandbox Percussion founded the Sandbox Percussion Seminar, introducing percussion students to the leading percussion chamber music of the day.
Sandbox Percussion endorses Pearl/Adams musical instruments, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Remo drumheads, and Black Swamp accessories.
Upcoming Concerts & Events
- Sandbox Percussion + Andy Akiho: “Pentalateral” (currently selected)
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Andy Akiho
Composer & Percussion, Past Protégé
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Andy Akiho is a “trailblazing” (Los Angeles Times) Grammy-nominated composer whose bold works unravel intricate and unexpected patterns while surpassing preconceived boundaries of classical music. Known as “an increasingly in-demand composer” (The New York Times), Akiho has earned international acclaim for his large-scale works that emphasize the natural theatricality of live performance.
The 2021-2022 season features the NYC premiere of Akiho’s double Grammy-nominated and 2022 Pulitzer Prize-nominated work Seven Pillars for Sandbox Percussion. Equally at home writing chamber music and symphonies, Akiho is the Oregon Symphony Orchestra’s 2022-2023 composer-in-residence.
Recent engagements include commissioned premieres by the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony, China Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony, Oregon Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Music@Menlo, LA Dance Project, and The Industry.
Akiho has been recognized with many prestigious awards and organizations including the Rome Prize, Lili Boulanger Memorial Prize, Harvard University Fromm Commission, Barlow Endowment, New Music USA, and Chamber Music America. His compositions have been featured by organizations such as Bang on a Can, American Composers Forum, The Intimacy of Creativity in Hong Kong, and the Heidelberg Festival.
An active steel pannist, Akiho has performed his works with the LA Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella Series, the Berlin Philharmonic’s Scharoun Ensemble, the International Drum Festival in Taiwan, and more.
Akiho was born in 1979 in Columbia, SC, and is currently based in Portland, OR, and New York City.
Upcoming Concerts & Events
- Sandbox Percussion + Andy Akiho: “Pentalateral” (currently selected)