So Percussion

Sō Percussion is an American percussion quartet based in New York City. Originally founded in 1999 by Robert Van Sice students at the Yale University School Of Music, the ensemble pioneered a standard repertoire of contemporary percussion music by John Cage, George Crumb, Iannis Xenakis and others, and gained international recognition for their recordings and performances of new works by Steve Reich, David Lang, Paul Lansky, Steven Mackey, Caroline Shaw, Bryce Dessner, Fred Frith, Dan Trueman, Tristan Perich, Martin Bresnick, Evan Ziporyn, and Arvo Pärt. In addition to numerous commissions, So Percussion has been composing and recording original music – Imaginary City, 3943799, and their latest program, A Gun Show, performed as a part of BAM's 2016 Next Wave Festival. The ensemble is known for using unusual and exotic instruments, including glockenspiel, bowed marimba, aluminum pipes and an amplified cactus. The quartet frequently collaborates with a wide range of artists around the world, such as electronic duo Matmos, Dan Deacon, legendary drummer Bobby Previte, Medeski Martin & Wood, Wilco's Glenn Kotche, Bryce Dessner (composer and leader of The National), Buke And Gass, Dave Douglas, Kneebody, Dirty Projectors, Project Jenny, Project Jan, Kid Millions/Man Forever, Eli Keszler, choreographer Shen Wei, and Princeton Laptop Orchestra. Recent highlights include a featured performance at Carnegie Hall with Glenn Kotche and Shara Nova, a collaboration with Dawn Upshaw and Gilbert Kalish, performances of David Lang's percussion concerto with Gustavo Dudamel conducting Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bryce Dessner's Music for Wood and Strings at Barbican in London and Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival. The members of So Percussion are Edward T. Cone performers-in-residence at Princeton University. They founded an annual So Percussion Summer Institute (SoSI) on Princeton's campus in 2009. The program features teaching and performing with the members of So Percussion and Princeton faculty and student composers. In 2010, four percussionists became co-directors of a new percussion department at Longy School of Music of Bard College. First students had enrolled into a 5-year double-degree undergraduate program in Aug 2011. Among guest faculty for the program are Jan Williams, Garry Kvistad, Gregory Zuber, Daniel Druckman, and Jonathan Haas. The band's name was suggested by film director and English-Japanese translator Jenise Treuting, Jason's sister. Word Sō comes from 奏, the second character in the compound Japanese word 演奏 (ensou) – to perform music. By itself, so means 'to play an instrument.' But it can also mean 'to be successful,' 'to determine a direction and move forward,' and 'to present to the gods or ruler.' Members Eric Cha-Beach – since 2007 Josh Quillen – since 2006 Adam Sliwinski – since 2002 Jason Treuting – since 1999 Past members Tim Feeney Todd Meehan Doug Perkins Lawson White