Third Coast Percussion Marks 20th Anniversary With Album of New Commissions

Third Coast Percussion (TCP), the Chicago-based quartet praised for its “rare power” (Washington Post) and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune), has forged a unique path in the musical landscape with virtuosic, energetic performances that celebrate the extraordinary depth and breadth of musical possibilities in the world of percussion.

From their early days as percussion students at Northwestern University to becoming an internationally renowned performing arts organization, TCP’s success is a testament to the power of collaboration. Their forthcoming 20th Anniversary album on Cedille features newly commissioned works by Zakir Hussain, Tigran Hamasyan, Jlin, and Jessie Montgomery — composers with whom TCP has built meaningful creative relationships over the years.

Cedille is profoundly grateful for our longstanding partnership with TCP, a relationship that began about a decade ago. Their Grammy-winning first Cedille release, Third Coast Percussion | Steve Reich, marked the first time a percussion ensemble won the Award for Best Chamber Music/ Small Ensemble Performance. Since then, each of TCP’s last four Cedille albums has been honored with Grammy nominations, underscoring the ensemble’s relentless pursuit of innovation. The ensemble also received a nomination recognizing their evolution as a composer collective when Archetypes (co-composed with Clarice and Sérgio Assad) was nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

Regarding the impact of recording with Cedille, ensemble member David Skidmore says:

“When [Cedille gets] behind a project, they get behind it 100%. That includes all kinds of incredible support for the artists in terms of paying for the recording and the artwork … The thing that makes Cedille successful is the support of so many people who believe that it’s important for these recordings to be out in the world, and to be completed at the very highest level.”

Cedille thanks Lori Julian for the Julian Family Foundation, Nancy Dehmlow, and Bruce Oltman & Bonnie McGrath for their generous support of this recording. The album is scheduled for release in April 2025.

UPDATE:
The album is dedicated Zakir Hussain, who passed away on December 15, 2024. In tribute to Hussain, David Skidmore said:

Zakir Hussain has always been a symbol to us of what an open mind and hard work can achieve. . . . The time that we got to spend with him this past year on the music he wrote for us gave us the opportinity to see up close what makes someone like Zakir so awe-inspiring. He was as generous as he was talented; as humble as he was focused; as muscial as he was technical. Full of grace, empathy, and kindness. Truly an exceptional human being.