Members of the renown UNT Percussion Area toured Poland in October 2023 creating a fantastic journey of music, history, and culture! 20 members of the percussion faculty and students presented concerts and clinics at the Krakow Academy of Music and The Opole School of Music. They also performed for Europe's largest percussion festival, Drum Fest, and the faculty served as adjudicators for the Polish National Marimba/Vibraphone Competition.
Professors Mark Ford, Dave Hall, Paul Rennick and special guest (and UNT alum), Dr. I-Jen Fang, were guest artists performing concertos with the Opole Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra directed by Dr. Nicholas Williams from the University of Georgia (UNT alum and former COM faculty member). UNT Percussion students also performed selected works on this orchestra concert. During the concert the sold out audience reacted with several standing ovations for the soloists, orchestra and the UNT Percussion Ensemble!
Additionally, Professor Jose Aponte performed with the student Afro-Cuban ensemble as well as a Drum Fest Jazz Concert on drum set. All of the faculty presented several clinics during their time in Poland.
Culturally the group toured the Auschwitz/Birkenau World War II Nazi Death Camp, Krakow's Museum Under the Square and the Wawel Royal Castle. The group also attended a contemporary dance program in the Opole Theatre as well as enjoyed a traditional Polish feast.
The Ensemble
John Thomas Baker - Weatherford, Texas
Jase Ballard - Corinth, Texas
Desmond Bigler - Pflugerville, Texas
Jacob Fullinwider - Kansas City, Missouri
Aidan Henderson - Tulsa, Oklahoma
Sam Koch - Plano, Texas
Raina Liao - Vancouver, British Columbia
Sophia Lo - Taipei, Taiwan
Nathan Siegel - Saginaw, Texas
Zeke Strawn - Arlington, Texas
Denton Sutherlin - Greenfield, Indiana
Maddie Wallace - Prosper, Texas
UNT Percussion Faculty on Tour
Jose Aponte
Michael Crawford
Mark Ford
Dave Hall
Paul Rennick
Guest Artists
Dr. I-Jen Fang - Professor of Percussion at the University of Virginia
Emily Ford (8) - Cymbal Soloist with I-Jen Fang and the ensemble on “Cymbolic.”
Dr. Nicholas Williams - Director of Bands at the University of Georgia
UNT Percussion Faculty
Gideon Alorwoyie - African Percussion Ensembles
Jose Aponte - Afro-Cuban/Brazilian Ensembles, Latin Jazz Lab, Drum Set
Michael Crawford - Percussion Methods, Ensembles
Quincy Davis - Drum Set
Mark Ford - Percussion Coordinator, Marimba, Steel Drums, Ensembles
Dave Hall - Marimba, Snare Drum, Timpani, Percussion Ensemble
Stockton Helbing - Drum Set
Paul Rennick - Snare Drum, Ensembles, Marching Percussion
Sandi Rennick - Marimba
Ed Smith - Jazz Vibraphone, Gamelan
Poovalur Sriji - Rhythmic Development, South Indian Ensembles
Find out more about UNT Percussion at percussion.music.unt.edu
Many Thanks to:
Companies and Sponsors:
Drum Fest
Evans Drum Heads
Innovative Percussion
Meinl Percussion
Mówi&Movie
Music Academy of Krakow
Musicon Publications
Ragtime Music
Sabian Cymbals
Tama/Bergerault
The Opole Philharmonic Orchestra
The Opole School of Music
The UNT College of Music
Very Special People:
Kim Luevano-Cole - Instrumental Chair, UNT College of Music
Fara Crawford - Medical Personnel
Ola Niewiara-Cregg - Drum Fest
Ewelina Ford - Tour Coordination
Krzysztof Jarota - Videographer
Katarzyna Kaczmarczyk - Formerly with the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School in Opole
Maciej Lamm - Assistant Director, Fryderyk Chopin State Music School/Opole
Wojciech Lasek - Drum Fest Host
Julia Kurys - Drum Fest
Przemyslaw Neumann - Opole Philharmonic Orchestra
Carole Overturf - Instrumental Studies Administrative Assistant
Basia Pieczynska - Opole Philharmonic Orchestra
John Richmond - Dean, UNT College of Music
Tomasz Sobaniec - Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków
Agnieszka Szerner - Opole Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Trachsel - Chair of Conducting/Ensembles - UNT College of Music
Amy Woods - UNT Financial Officer
The Percussion Area in the University of North Texas College of Music in Denton, Texas is a diverse and innovative program that has set high standards in percussion education and performance for decades. Part of the largest school of music in the United States, UNT Percussion offers three classical percussion ensembles and eleven World-Music ensembles such as African, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, South Indian Music in addition to a Balinese Gamelan, two Steel Drum Bands and Marching Percussion. This is UNT Percussion’s fourth tour of Poland and they have also performed in France, Belgium, Croatia and South Korea. The ensemble has performed with percussion virtuosos such as Keiko Abe, Bob Becker, Bill Cahn, Casey Cangelosi, Gregg Bissonette, Mike Mainieri and many others.