New Music Ensemble Percussia in Concert as Part of Make Music New York Festival

Queens-based new music ensemble Percussia will be in concert on Friday, June 21 @ 5:00 PM, outdoors at Gantry Plaza State Park in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City, Queens, as part of the Make Music New York Festival.

The program will include Essential Foods by Frank London (World Premiere given one year ago by Percussia), Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin’s On the Street Where I Live (an ensemble-commissioned, autobiographical work written by Percussia’s violist about his experience during COVID as an artist living in the city, with musical references to ambulances, panhandlers singing songs for money, and back alleys) and Carlo Nicolau’s Journey of Hope From Central America to the U.S., which Percussia will Premiere at Ridgewood and Jackson Heights libraries earlier in June. The latter piece was funded by a New York State Council on the Arts Individual Artist grant.

Performers will be Percussia members Ingrid Gordon (percussion and Artistic Director), Susan Jolles (harp), Margaret Lancaster (flute), Lev Zhurbin (viola) and guest percussionist Roxan Jurkevich.

Make Music New York is in its 17th year of producing NYC's largest outdoor, non-profit, free music festival for the people, made by the people. MMNY presents 500 concerts and musical events on the Summer solstice, June 21st, across all 5 boroughs, featuring 5000 local performers from a range of backgrounds; everyone from seasoned professionals to first-time performers, playing anywhere from an established music venue to the storefront of a coffee shop. More about it at https://makemusicny.org/.

All Percussia presentations are ADA accessible. For MTA transportation information, visit https://new.mta.info/tripplanner/results.

Led by Artistic Director and percussionist Ingrid Gordon and also featuring harpist Susan Jolles, flutist Margaret Lancaster, violist Lev Zhurbin and percussionist Frank Cassara, Percussia’s unique instrumentation of percussion, harp, flute, and viola gives the group its one-of-a-kind signature sound. Their varied repertoire is an eclectic combination of contemporary chamber music, world, and popular music styles, and original arrangements. Percussia’s repertoire crosses genres, styles, and cultural boundaries. Visit their website at http://www.percussia.org/ and like them at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070327835799.

Their programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. Additional funding is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, by the National Endowment on the Arts, the Music Performance Trust Fund, and by the generous contributions of individual donors.

These programs are also funded through a grant underwritten by the Zildjian Family Opportunity Fund at the Percussive Arts Society.

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