submitted by Arizona Philharmonic
Arizona Philharmonic principal timpanist Maria Flurry, always brings a vibrant party to the stage, and this manos percussion performance Sunday, Jan. 12 is sure to delight and surprise. Partnering with award-winning Bensen Kwan on steel pan (a participant in the Panorama Semi-Finals Competition in Trinidad/Tobago) and Joshua Ferrell on percussion (a Master’s Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas in Denton), they will play 37 instruments, including water, on their way through a dynamic range of material from jazz to Basque to calypso and Bach. “We are all classically trained musicians, unleashing our creative sides to explore this rich collaboration. For both your intellect and your inner child, this is a concert to look forward to,” commented Flurry.
This virtuosic round-the-world journey embraces everything from the grooves of Afro-Cuban rhythms to the sublime melancholy of Debussy — a dynamic exploration of the wealth of musical possibilities percussion offers. manos will be accompanied by three members of Banda Latino Caribeña, a popular Latin band from Flagstaff, on a number of dance-worthy pieces as well. The performance also includes a unique atmospheric piece played entirely on flower pots by manos and joined by Prescott Unified School district band students, mentored and directed by Peter Ferry. Ferry is a world-class percussion soloist based in Phoenix, dedicated to creating arresting musical experiences for audiences around the world. “There will be more water and unexpected musical pieces included, such as a farce in a café involving water bottles,” added Flurry.
