News
May 16, 2012
Percussion Axiom TV: Episode #93 “Experimenting with the Programming Process” Part I
Attending the 33rd Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminar? Or, coming to my concert at the Victoria Bach Festival? No? No worries, watch as we prep with part I in a series of concerts that I have coming up that experiment witht the programming process. Are you musician? Audience member? I want to know what you thind. Leave your thoughts here.
Apr 26, 2012
Thomas Burritt on KPAC 88.3
Thanks to host John Clare for hosting this interview in preparation for "Percussion Galore" at Round Top, April 21st 2012. Listen now.
Apr 25, 2012
I'm a huge fan of this newer work for marimba by composer Jonathan Kolm which I recently played at "Percussion Galore" Round Top this past Saturday. Thanks to Thad Anderson for commissioning Jonathan. Enjoy.
Apr 23, 2012
Round Top "Percussion Galore" 2012 Recap
Many thanks to all who made Percussion Galore a great success. Amazing performances by line upon line percussion, the MPDuo, Tony Edwards and Ertan Torgul. The photo above was taken before the final evening concert featuring MPDuo performing Steve Reich's Nagoya Marimbas, and line upon line percussion performing John Cage's "Amores". Inside the inner circle were instruments used by University of Texas Percussion Group for their performance of Edgard Varese's "Ionisation". The focal point of the set up was Xenakis's "Pleiades" performed by line up line, MPDuo and Tim Briones. A fitting end to a huge day of percussion. Stay tuned for information about next years event.
Apr 20, 2012
Burritt to deliver new solo marimba program
Saturday, April 21st Thomas Burritt will unveil a 30 minute long, non-stop solo marimba program at "Percussion Galore" 2012 in Round Top Texas, at the Festival Institute. This "experiment" is meant to explore what it could mean for an audience when a different approach is used in the programming process by the artist. For more information about the process please check out this post from earlier this week. Purchase tickets now!
Mar 17, 2012
Percussion Galore 2012
Every April on the beauiful grounds of Festival Hill in Round Top, Texas one of the nations premiere percussion performance festivals features some of the percussive arts most prestigious artists. "Percussion Galore" 2012 continues this tradition and offers several "once in a lifetime" opportunities to hear some of the greatest contemporary music ever written. Thomas Burritt, acting artistic advisor, has planned three concerts: "The Great Virtuosity", "The Great Melange", and "The Great Masterworks". Click the source link above for more information.
Artists for this years event on April 21st include Tony Edwards, line upon line percussion, The University of Texas Percussion Group, The Meehan Perkins Duo, and Ertan Torgul. Purchase Tickets now!
Aside from acting as artistic advisor, Thomas Burritt will perform a solo "Collage" set during the 4:30 Concert. Be sure to check back soon for more information.
Feb 10, 2012
Jan 31, 2012
Percussion Axiom TV: Episode #89
Want an inside look to into the preparation process for performing a solo concerto work with orchestra? Check out Part I in a series of episodes that will allow you to do just that. Hit the YouTube link off to the right for more informative videos. Want more interaction? Take a look at the series' comment thread at Drumchattr. Look for Part II and III soon!
Jan 12, 2012
Austin Civic Orchestra to Feature Burritt in February
The Austin Civic Orchestra will feature Thomas Burritt performing the 1st movement to Eric Ewazen's important "Concerto for Marimba" and orchestra on Saturday, February 04, 2012 at 7:30 PM, in the Alma Thomas Theater at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. Tickets are inexpensive and can be purchased on line. For more information about the program visit their website.
About the work:
Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra was commissioned and premiered by She-e Wu and the Moment Musical Orchestra of Taiwan, under the direction of Paul Chiang. Grandly scaled, the work explores the wide range of expressive possibilities inherent in the marimba. The 1st movement opens with a sustained chorale, soft and peaceful. This leads to an energetic allegro with playful themes tossed between the soloist and orchestra. A sense of energy and excitement pervades the movement. The virtuoso marimba part is filled with cascading arpeggios and flourishes. Following an ever modulating cadenza and a return of the beautiful opening chorale the final allegro section ends triumphantly in C Major.
Want to hear my thoughts about getting ready for this performance? Check out my video blog series Percussion Axiom TV at Drumchattr.com.
Dec 14, 2011
Burritt to premiere new work by Peter Scott Lewis
"The Changing Light" for chamber choir (16 singers), vibraphone and marimba (one player), and string quartet is based on the poetry of Lawrence Ferlinghetti and written for Conspirare. The premiere is part of series of concerts given by Conspirare the weekend of January 19-22. Tickets are available now.
Nov 22, 2011
Burritt to perform with Conspirare
“Conspirare Christmas” at the Long Center Buy tickets!
Five-time Grammy®-nominated Conspirare performs the eighteenth annual edition of its incomparable holiday concert. Always magical, always unique, “Conspirare Christmas” features artistic director Craig Hella Johnson’s renowned “collage” programming that melds music of many centuries and styles into one intensely meaningful whole.
The exquisite artistry of Conspirare’s professional singers is complemented by three guest artists who are long-time Conspirare collaborators: sparkling soprano and Austin favorite Mela Dailey, Seattle-based singer songwriter Matt Alber, and percussionist Tom Burritt, recently named “Best of Austin” by the Austin Chronicle.
“Conspirare Christmas” is one of Austin’s most popular holiday experiences. Performances at its original venue The Carillon on Exposition – an intimate chapel-like space – always sell out early; this year’s performances at that venue were sold out by mid-October. The Long Center performance on December 5 enables a larger audience to experience the world-class artistic quality and unique programming of Conspirare’s holiday concert, at a range of ticket prices to fit every budget.
“Conspirare Christmas” and the Holiday Gala are sponsored by season sustaining underwriter South Texas Money Management.
Nov 2, 2011
Thomas Burritt at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention - 2011
PASIC 2011 will be busy! Burritt will perform John Serry's epic solo marimba work "Night Rhapsody" on Thursday, November 10th at 1:00 pm during the New Music/Research Concert C: Innovations in Keyboard Percussion Solo , and will perform Gordon Stout's "New York Triptych" as part of the 50th Anniversary Marimba Orchestra showcase concert Friday, November 11th at 5:00 pm.
On Friday morning at 10:00 Burritt will be co-presenting and discussing his use of technology with his students at the University of Texas Butler School of music on a session entitled: Creative Uses for Technology in College Percussion Teaching.
Burritt will be appearing at the Malletech booth at PASIC 2011 on Saturday beginning at 10:00. Please come by and say hello. Be sure to use the official #PASIC11 hastag if you are on twitter.
Oct 22, 2011
Thomas Burritt named "Best Guy to Beat the Drum for Percussion" by the Austin Chronicle
For most of us, "I don't want to work; I just want to bang on the drum all day" is merely a dream from a Todd Rundgren song. But for Thomas Burritt, banging on the drum all day is his work. And his joy, too, from the sound of it. Whether he's leading his Butler School of Music students through a piece like Steve Reich's classic "Drumming," rocking the marimba at the Round Top Festival Institute's Percussion Galore! concerts, jamming with the Golden Hornet Project, providing a backbeat for the choral wonder of Conspirare, or hosting a webisode of hisPercussion Axiom TV series, Burritt conveys an infectious enthusiasm for all things you can beat with a stick or a mallet. And while he always masterfully serves the music he's playing, no matter what rhythm he's tapping out when he bangs on the drum (or marimbas or vibraphone or glockenspiel or cymbals), you can't help but hear the beat of his heart.
