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Sandbox Percussion

February 12, 2023 • 3:15 pm at Temple Beth-El

Sandbox Percussion is a percussion quartet that curates musical experiences by taking on creative challenges, transforming them into meaningful art, and sharing this process and its results with our community of listeners.

“From the downbeat, the percussion quarter had the audience enthralled with a vigorous zest and machine-like precision. The group was so tight, it seemed that if one of them were to drop a beat, the other three would have known moments earlier and would have already adjusted.” – I Care if You Listen

Described as “exhilarating” (The New York Times) and “utterly mesmerizing” (The Guardian), GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion brings out the best in composers through their unwavering dedication to artistry in contemporary chamber music.

Sandbox Percussion captivates audiences with performances that are both visually and aurally stunning, solidifying them as leaders in the fields of contemporary music and percussion.

Brought together by their love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together, Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Ian Rosenbaum, and Terry Sweeney engage a wider audience for classical music through multidisciplinary collaborations with today’s leading artists.

Sandbox Percussion’s 2021 album “Seven Pillars,” an extensive work by trailblazing composer Andy Akiho, was nominated for two GRAMMY® awards — Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

Nationally recognized as “as pure as music gets” (NY Times), Andy Akiho’s 11-part, 80-minute work with stage direction and lighting design by Michael Joseph McQuilken is Sandbox Percussion’s largest commission to date. In addition to the album, Sandbox Percussion commissioned 11 films that accompany each movement of the work.

“….their jaw-dropping virtuosity made it all seem like . . . well, child’s play.” – The Washington Post