Come ‘Share the Drum’

Monette Marino-Keita
Monette Marino-Keita

Come engage in the rhythm and heartbeat of the Asheville Percussion Festival, June 15-21, 2015.

Experience a creative musical landscape of infinite transformation through the symphonic heartbeat of rhythm, dance, and song where percussionists, dancers, and musicians of all traditions gather from around the globe to explore, create, and innovate.

The week-long Asheville Percussion Festival hosts a thrilling line up this year, led by world-renowned Teaching Artists and performers who invite percussionists of all levels to join the likes of the most visible and recorded percussionists on the planet Bashiri Johnson, Monette Marino-Keita, Jeff Sipe, Miranda Rondeau, River Guerguerian, Adam Maalouf, Bharatanatyam dancer Apama Keshaviah, Suphala, Free Planet Radio, Billy Jonas, Brandi Mizilca, Matthew Richmond, and Kevork Guerguerian.

Workshops will begin Monday, June 15, at the Odyssey Community School. The Master’s Concert will be held Saturday, June 20, at 8 pm. in the Diana Wortham Theater, featuring collaborative compositions by local Asheville favorites, award-winning percussionist Billy Jonas, River Guerguerian, and Free Planet Radio, voted “Best World Music Group in Western North Carolina 2013” by readers of Mountain Xpress.

Chris Rosser’s Free Planet Radio, and chamber music musicians The Opal String Quartet, will premiere a composition of a three-movement piece, given life through a 2014 grant from the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program.

The drumbeat is beckoning. Come ‘Share the Drum.’

If You Go: Asheville Percussion Festival, June 15-21. Intensive program workshops begin Monday, June 15 at Odyssey Community School. Many ticketing options are available. Masters Concert Saturday, June 20 at the Diana Wortham Theatre at 8 p.m. Visit www.ashevillepercussionfestival.com

For tickets and event/workshop information see www.ashevillepercussionfestival.com/tickets/