The Western Percussion Ensemble is a chamber group dedicated to the performance of significant and interesting works from diverse compositional trends of the 20th and 21st centuries. While an emphasis is placed on unconducted works, the group also regularly performs conducted pieces for up to 15 percussionists. Professor Anthony Di Sanza coaches the ensemble with assistance from graduate students in the percussion program. Guest artists regularly perform with the ensemble and guest composers are often featured.

The UW Western Percussion Ensemble appears on a CD recording featuring previously unrecorded works by Michael Udow. To be released in early 2007 the CD will be available internationally on the Equilibrium label. In recent years the ensemble has premiered works by composers Dave Hollinden, Laura Schwendinger and Scott Gendel.

WPE Rehearsal Times:
Fridays 2:30-4:30
Sundays 6:30-8:30


The Graduate Percussion Group is a student run chamber ensemble that performs occasional concerts on and off campus. The ensemble explores a variety of Western and non-Western percussion repertoire with occasional coachings from the percussion faculty. Recent performances have included works by Reich, Udow, Ikebe, Hollinden, Levitan, Harr, Cage, Takemitsu and Becker.

Repertoire performed by the Western Percussion Ensemble and Graduate Percussion Group in recent years includes:

Keiko Abe - Memories of the Seashore
Bob Becker - Away Without Leave, Mudra, Noodrum
Roger Braun - A Terrible Beauty
Michael Burritt - Shadow Chasers, The Doomsday Machine
John Cage - Double Music, First Construction in Metal, Second Construction, Third Construction, Living Room Music, Amores
Tim Clark - Forests of the Sun (for percussion ensemble and CD)
Henry Cowell - Ostinato Pianissimo, Pulse
Anthony Di Sanza - Concerto for Darabukka and Percussion Quartet
Di Sanza/Barrick - Inner Thoughts
William Duckworth - …a Whispering, Gymel
Graham Fitkin - Hook
Scott Gendel - A Gleam in Her Eye (premier performance)
Christopher Hardy - Red Earth (US Premier)
Lou Harrison - Concerto for Violin and Percussion Orchestra, Fugue, Canticle No. 1, Canticle No. 3
Dave Hollinden - Release, The Whole Toy Laid Down, Percussion Quartet #2, What Clarity? (co-premier performance), Reckless
Aurél Holló - 39 – The Dream of the Manichaelan/before JOHN3
Serra Hwang - Du Re
Shin-Ichiro Ikebe - On the Other Side of Rain
David Johnson - Quartz City
André Jolivet - Suite en Concert
Daniel Levitan - Marimba Quartet
David MacBride - Quiet!
Roger Maggio - Internal Rhythms
Istvan Marta - Doll's House Story
Minoru Miki - Marimba Spiritual
Akira Nishimura - Ektãl, Ketiak, Padma in Meditation
Per Nørgård - Square and Round
Eugene Novatney - Intentions
Pauline Oliveros - All Fours, Traveling Music, The Rolling Meditation
Steve Reich - Six Marimbas, Drumming (complete performance), Sextet
Christopher Rouse - Falcones Illumines, Bonham, Ogoun Badagris, Ku Ka Illamoku
Sven-David Sandstrom - Spring Music for Kroumata
Laura Elise Schwendinger - Elements (premier performance)
Peter Sculthorpe - Jabiru Dreaming
Julie Spencer - Tribeca Sunflower, Before the Beginning, Soulhouse – Weep, When You Hear the Soft Roar When There is no Sound
James Tenney - Three Pieces for Drum Quartet
Peter Terry - Dance Music Two
Toru Takemitsu - Rain Tree
Michael Udow - A Bird Whispered; "Your Children are Dying", Four Constructions, Four Movements, Toyama, Timbrack Quartet, Coyote Dreams, Thoughts from Almost Near Somewhere, Flashback
Edgard Varèse - Ionization
David Vayo - Border Crossing
Ardean Watts - Mark V Marimba Toccata
Nigel Westlake - The Invisible Men (percussion quartet and silent film), Omphalo Centric Lecture, Calabash, Moving Air (percussion ensemble with CD)
Clive Wilkinson - Pool
Theodore Wiprud - Anima
John Wyre - Marubatoo
Takayosi Yoshioka - Square Dance
Nabojsa Zivkovic - Tri per Uno, Uneven Souls