Found Sound

New Music for Percussion and Found Objects

Percussion is the oldest kind of musical instrument, dating back to the dawn of time when the earliest humans found themselves captivated by the noises made when they hit one object with another. Over the centuries, the ‘percussion section’ has been augmented with other objects that are not music instruments, but can be used to make music—Tchaikovsky’s cannons (1812 Overture), Verdi’s anvils (Il Trovatore), and Mahler’s DIY hammer blow (Symphony No. 6). More recently, composers also used new technology—analog recordings in the musique concrete of the 1940s, and sampling and synthesis starting in the 1980s—to bring sounds found in the wider world into the concert hall. With such a rich and diverse tradition as our touchstone, we’re sure you’ll find this concert makes a glorious noise that is exciting, thought-provoking…and fun. Join us!