Bridge & Blacktop Percussion Present: Coming Together

Bridge Percussion started out as a summer project in 2024, when founding member Alex Chao brought together multiple generations of Northwestern alumni to perform the Chicago premiere of Andy Akiho’s Seven Pillars. Following two sold-out shows at Fulton Street Collective, what began as a one-off event evolved into something larger. Bridge Percussion now exists as a Chicago-based collective with a flexible cast of performers, and a unified goal to connect with audiences through percussion-based musical experiences that educate, excite, and inspire.
Blacktop Percussion is an award-winning, contemporary percussion trio based in Rochester, NY. The trio seeks to bring music to life, which blends modern musical styles such as hip-hop and breakcore, within the classical setting, to create a unique and marvelous experience for all audiences. With performances that can best be described as intense and animated, Blacktop Percussion offers an opportunity to engage with live music unlike any other.
This May, Bridge Percussion and Blacktop Percussion are curating a special joint performance highlighting the endlessly exciting and vast world of percussion. The concert will feature a solo set from each of them and culminate in both ensembles performing as one musical supergroup for Frederic Rzewski’s Coming Together. Rzewski’s work is written with open instrumentation and infinite room for improvisation and interpretation, allowing each ensemble and each member to showcase their individual styles while simultaneously uniting as one relentlessly driving sonic force. This finale not only highlights the unique combined sound of two of the most promising acts in the percussion world right now, but is a testament to both ensembles’ passion for collaboration.

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Blacktop Percussion | Website | Instagram | YouTube

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