Percuba Ensemble to perform music for percussion March 4 at Appalachian; Cuban group also to lead master classes

View larger image — The Percuba Ensemble of Cuba will perform percussion music and lead master classes beginning March 3 at Appalachian State University. Logo courtesy of Percuba Ensemble

By University Communications

Posted Feb. 24, 2017 at 12:56 p.m.

BOONE, N.C.—The Percuba Ensemble of Cuba will perform music for percussion at 8 p.m. March 4 in the Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall at Appalachian State University. This is a Hayes School of Music event. Admission is free.

Percuba, which consists of six musicians, fuses elements of classical, folkloric and popular Cuban music. The result is a “very original style in which the combination of musical and visual elements elevate every instrument or gesture to a main role,” according to program notes for the March 4 performance.

Percuba began life in 2000 as Pi a Pá, having been started by students and professors in the percussion department of Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), also known as Universidad de las Artes, in Havana. The group dissolved in 2003. It reformed in 2006, aiming to restore its role as an alternative working method in the teaching dynamic of the percussion department. In 2007, it took the name of an important international percussion festival in Cuba.

Percuba’s March 4 program will include music conceived by the entire ensemble (e.g., “Bembe elegua”; “Homenaje”; and “Across de Abby Road”) or composed by individual members.

During its stay at Appalachian, Percuba will lead several master classes, which are free and open to the public. On March 3, one will be held from 9 to 10:50 a.m. in Room 119 (Spencer Rehearsal Hall) in the Broyhill Music Center. On March 7, another will take place from 2 to 3:15 p.m. in the same location.

On March 6, Percuba will lead two master classes, each in Room 129 (Recital Hall) of the Broyhill Music Center. One master class, from 10 to 10:50 a.m., will be for students taking the world music course of Dr. Shawn Roberts, an adjunct instructor of percussion and African music at Appalachian. The other, from 1 to 1:50 p.m., will be for students taking the world music course of Dr. Dave Wood, an instructor in Appalachian studies and the graduate program coordinator in Appalachian’s Center for Appalachian Studies.

About the Hayes School of Music

The Hayes School of Music prepares young musicians for professional lives as performers, composers, music educators, music therapists, conductors and music industry professionals, ensuring the next generation of musical leadership for the state, region and nation. Noted for quality instruction by national and internationally recognized faculty musicians, the school offers four undergraduate degree programs and three graduate-level programs.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.