(treyfiles.com)
Ethos Percussion Group
For nearly twenty years, Ethos Percussion Group has inspired audiences throughout the country with its exceptional music-making and collective devotion to the incredibly diverse world of percussion music. Ensemble members Trey Files, Eric Phinney, Yousif Sheronick and David Shively are accomplished classical and world music artists, each with a distinctive background and musical perspective. Their substantial combined expertise is the source of Ethos’ innovative programming, which integrates global instruments and playing styles into the conventions of Western chamber music to create a visually and aurally compelling experience. The ensemble’s critically-acclaimed performances regularly feature numerous commissions and world premieres, traditional rhythms from India, West Africa and the Middle East, and landmark works by composers such as John Cage, Lou Harrison, Steve Reich and Frank Zappa.
Recent seasons have included concerts across the United States and the United Kingdom, with major engagements at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, the Bermuda Festival, London's Wigmore Hall and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Recent collaborations include the Kansas City Symphony, zanu/Pulse with Grammy-winning frame drummer Glen Velez and gyli master Bernard Woma as well as Indian tabla master Pandit Samir Chatterjee. Ethos is the recipient of a continuing grant from the Jerome Foundation which has funded over twenty commissions for the ensemble. The premieres of these works have been a significant element of the group’s ongoing concert series dedicated to percussion chamber music, which was established in New York City in 1999. In April 2000, National Public Radio's Morning Edition covered the world premiere of Michael Daugherty's Used Car Salesman, which was commissioned for Ethos by Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa.
Ethos' discography includes Building (2008), Sol Tunnels (2002), The Persistence of Past Chemistries (1999) and Ethos Percussion Group (1996).
Since its founding in 1989 by Michael Sgouros, Ethos has remained committed to advancing the percussive arts in education as well as performance. In addition to presenting clinics and master classes at institutions such as The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music and Berklee College of Music, Ethos has worked with thousands of students in New York City's public schools through concert and classroom activities. Ethos is ensemble-in-residence at Lehman College, Bronx, NY, and La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts. In 2004 the group formed a satellite organization dedicated exclusively to arts education known as World Beat.
Individually, the members of Ethos have performed with Philip Glass, Branford Marsalis, Yo-Yo Ma, New World Symphony, New Music Consort, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Sospeso, New York City Ballet, De La Guarda and Mabou Mines. They can be heard on a variety of recordings released by CRI, Opus One, Koch International and Decca. Ethos Percussion Group is a member ensemble of Chamber Music America and a sustaining member of the Percussive Arts Society. The ensemble gratefully endorses products from Cooperman Drums, Innovative Mallets, Latin Percussion, Grover Pro Percussion and Yamaha.
2nd Species
2nd Species is a dynamic entertainment company specializing in aerial and music performance. The creators of 2nd Species have intrigued audiences with quality, cutting-edge productions worldwide for over a decade.
They first found each other while flying, drumming, and (most of all) playing in the long running Off-Broadway production of De La Guarda in such cities as New York, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Tel Aviv, Seoul, and Buenos Aires. The designers and performers of 2nd Species hail from backgrounds that include Disney’s Tarzan on Broadway, Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening, Radio City Rockettes, Bill Irwin’s Harlequin Studies, and national tours of STOMP and The Who’s Tommy (we should also mention our rigging team, whose skills have led them to some of the best climbing spots in the world as both climbers and guides).
In 2004, 2nd Species toured Italy choreographing and performing as featured aerialists for Deisel Fasion in Milano Rockin’ Fashion in Milan, and as models for Guru Fashion in Riccione. We returned home to NY and changed gears to create a live aerial performance installation that showcased the architectural design of Maya Lin at Sculpture Center in Long Island City.
The ESPN Spring 2006 Upfront gave us the opportunity to honor athleticism with featured aerial choreography in the opening act and then relax a bit with ambient scenes throughout the event. Later in 2006, 2nd Species showcased original aerial choreography and new music compositions at Red Bull Ascension '06. There, we enjoyed the privilege of collaborating with AiRealistic and together helped make the event a great success to benefit the New York Nightlife Association.
NYC has provided an incredible array of spaces for 2nd Species to fill with sight-specific work: from a night club like Crobar where our aerial choreography showed off the fashion designs of Scott Gonaway, to Prana Mandir, a yoga studio and urban refuge looking over the 59th Street Bridge, that gave us a stage for our Little Kids Rock benefit performance.
In 2007 and 2008 2nd Species was busy providing live music and aerial performances at sites throughout the US, including events in New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Atlantic City and Hollywood, Florida.
The 2nd Species rigging team has created original designs for the NJ Devils' home games and continues to find inventive ways to thrill the crowds in major athletic arenas across the country.
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