Percussion Ensemble

Percussion/marimba ensembles have been a curricular offering at the University of Northern Iowa since 1972. All percussion majors as well as many non-majors participate in weekly rehearsals and concerts each semester. The ensembles have taken many tours throughout the state of Iowa and have also performed in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago areas.

In addition to several "home" concerts each year, the UNI Percussion/Marimba Ensembles perform at the annual Iowa Percussive Arts Society Days of Percussion hosted by various colleges and universities in the state. The UNI Percussion Ensembles appear on two international CD’s.

Sample Repertoire

Junctures (1991, Iowa Première) - Ted Piltzecker
Toccata for Percussion (1942) Carlos Chavez
Symphony for Percussion - Stanley Leonard
Gainsborough - Thomas Gauger
Three Patchen Songs (1984, World Première) - Mary Badarak
Of This Same Beauty (1983, World Première) - Mary Badarak
Lift-Off (1977) -Russell Peck
Ostinato Pianissimo - Henry Cowell
Ritmicas No. 5 & 6 - Amadeo Roldan
The Greenfly (1987, World Première) - Janika Vandervelde
Dance Music Two - Peter Terry
Teufelstanz (1988, U.S. Première) -Nancy Van de Vate
Three Views from the Hill (1993, World Première) - Jeremy Beck
Signals (U.S. Première) - Torsten Nilsson
Krakow Concerto (U.S. Première) - Nancy Van de Vate
Double Music (1941) John Cage & - Lou Harrison
Take That (1972) - William Albright
Fugue (1933) - William Russell
Sleep and Walking (1993) - Ben Johnston
The Floating Bubble (1994) - Ron George
Kopeyia (1995) - Jeremy Beck
An Idyll for the Misbegotten (1986) - George Crumb
Pulse (1938) - Henry Cowell
See also the UNI West African Drum Ensemble bio!

Percussion Instructor: Randy Hogancamp