On Friday 20 August percussionist Michael Compitello releases his album Unsnared Drum with New Focus Recordings which features Tonia Ko’s Negative Magic.
Our mission was to rethink the snare drum, to ask whether the instrument could be bold, coy, suave, and elegant: in short, interesting. Each composer lived with a drum and a number of implements over an extended period of time, and the result is a collection of pieces which highlight the snare drum’s breadth of sonic possibility and depth of expressivity, revealing an instrument of drama, grace, and heart.
Michael Compitello
Also, Tonia Ko has been commissioned to write an octet for the Eastman Wind Ensemble Harmonie in celebration of the school’s centennial. This work will be premiered in late Spring 2022.
The Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester officially begins its Centennial Celebration July 1, 2021. Their 100 years of history and 18-month-long celebration will include more than 50 new compositions, world premieres, and centennial fanfares written specifically for Eastman’s ensembles, Eastman’s illustrious faculty, and more.
Negative Magic is proudly available through our website, as well as a range of works by Tonia Ko. We are looking forward to adding Tonia Ko’s new octet to this catalogue in due course.
Tags: CD release, Commission, Eastman School of Music, Eastman Wind Ensemble Harmonie, Michael Compitello, Negative Magic, New Focus Recordings, Tonia Ko, University of Rochester, Unsnared Drum