Hailed by The New York Times as “a lush, brooding celebration of noise,” Andy Akiho’s Seven Pillars is his most ambitious project to date. Nominated for a Grammy Award for best classical composition and best chamber music performance, the work is structured as a large-scale palindrome and consists of seven ensemble movements and one solo movement for each member of Sandbox Percussion. Michael Joseph McQuilken’s lighting scheme reinforces the work's form throughout the live performance. Performed by Sandbox, this evening-length work is the largest-scale chamber music work that Akiho has written and that Sandbox has commissioned. Akiho and Sandbox’s collaboration for Seven Pillars has spanned the past eight years.
Andy Akiho
Described as “trailblazing” (LA Times), Andy Akiho is a composer and performer of new music. Recent engagements include commissioned premieres by the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony, China Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony, Oregon Symphony with soloist Colin Currie, American Composers Orchestra, Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Northwest, Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, LA Dance Project, and experimental opera company The Industry.
Sandbox Percussion
Described as “exhilarating” by The New York Times, and “utterly mesmerizing” by The Guardian, GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion has established themselves as a leading proponent of contemporary percussion chamber music. Brought together by the simple joy of playing together, Sandbox Percussion captivates audiences with performances that are both visually and aurally stunning.
Michael Joseph McQuilken
Michael Joseph McQuilken originally hails from Portland, Oregon, where he was raised in a working-class home by social worker parents who were terrified that his artistic tendencies would leave him perpetually broke. These fears were not allayed when 20-something Michael became a professional street performer for three years, making music with garbage.