Alejandro Viñao's "Water"

On Nov. 12, 2017, the Yale Percussion Group gave a performance of Alejandro Viñao’s “Water”—a performance the composer called “exhilarating.”

“What energy your players displayed!” Viñao told YPG Director Robert van Sice.“The last two minutes of the third movement run through my mind and heart like a freight train.” The performance, Viñao said, “made my day and countered significantly these somber times.”

“Learning Alejandro Viñao’s ‘Water’ with this extraordinary edition of the Yale Percussion Group was one of the highlights of my two decades at Yale,” van Sice said. “Six incredible musicians who, from day one, set out to dig as deep as possible into this fabulous piece. For me, the most profound joy to be had in chamber music is actually found in the rehearsal process. Watching six minds and souls morph into one through constructive and respectful discourse, additive thinking, and graceful compromise for the greater good … are these not the skills we want to endow our next generation with both inside the concert hall and beyond? These magnificent young percussionists are a privilege to mentor and a constant source of positive inspiration to all of us in a time when we all need that beautiful glow of hope.”

Percussionists: Matt Keown '16MM '22DMA, Ji Su Jung '19MM '20AD, YoungKyoung Lee '18MM '19MMA, Dmitrii Nilov '18MM, Sam Um '17MM '18MMA, and Shiqi Zhong '19MM '20MMA.