Drum circles | Christopher Theofanidis

This exhilarating new work, Drum Circles, is a 25 minute concerto for percussion and orchestra. It features four members of The Percussion Collective as soloists, plus three members of the orchestra’s own percussion section. The piece received its world premiere in a subscription series concert with the Oregon Symphony and its music director, Carlos Kalmar, in March of 2019. The five movements of the concerto are subtitled:

I.  Rivers and Anthems

II.  Sparks and Chants

III. How Can You Smile When You’re Deep In Thought?

IV. Spirits and Drums

V. Three Chords and the Truth (or, Learning to Breathe Again)

Orchestration:

2 Flutes (2nd dbl picc)

2 Oboes

2 Clarinets in B flat

2 Bassoons

4 Horns in F

3 Trumpets in C

2 Trombones

Bass Trombone

Tuba

Timpani

Percussion (2 players)

4 Solo Percussion

Strings

About the Composer

Christopher Theofanidis has had performances by the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, among many others. He has been twice nominated for a grammy for best classical composition, and his works Rainbow Body and Dreamtime Ancestors are two of the most performed orchestral works of the new millennium. Mr. Theofanidis has written widely for the stage, including works for the San Francisco and Houston Grand Opera companies, as well as the American Ballet Theatre. He has a special relationship with the Atlanta Symphony and Maestro Robert Spano, and has made several recordings with that ensemble. Mr. Theofanidis is a former faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory and the Juilliard School, and is currently a professor at Yale University and composer-in-residence of the Aspen Music Festival.