Contemporary Beats on Percussion Presented by Liszt Academy

To celebrate International Music Day, we return to the very foundations of music: percussion. Aside from the human voice, percussion instruments are the oldest musical tools in existence. This performance is the brainchild of Szabolcs Joó, head of percussion studies at the Liszt Academy, who takes the Solti Hall stage alongside his colleagues and students.

The second half of the concert explores the ancient traditions of Malawian music, which has preserved rituals from pre-recorded history. These primal roots serve as the inspiration for both Steve Reich’s (who celebrates his 90th birthday this year) Drumming – the cornerstone of minimalism – and the ritualistic power of James Wood’s Rogosanti.

The programme also highlights the dynamic dialogue between percussion and other instruments. In the hypnotic style of Morton Feldman, the bass clarinet takes centre stage; in Étienne Perruchon’s exotic Dogorien dances, the cello provides the counterpoint; and in Gerard Brophy’s pulsating we bOp, the saxophone joins the fray. The evening concludes on a high note with Bob Becker’s Bye Bye Medley, a lively arrangement of popular American tunes.