UK Percussion Alumni Concert
UK Percussion Alumni, representing more than 50 years of graduates, return to campus for a special concert celebrating the legacy of the University of Kentucky percussion program. Bringing together over 60 performers, alumni from the 1970s to current students, this free performance will feature the world premiere of a newly commissioned work by 2012 UK graduate Tyler Swick, written specifically for this event and featuring all 60+ performers together; a second performance of Rudi’s Batuque by DMA alumnus Julie Hill, originally premiered at a UK percussion alumni concert 20 years ago; and Edgard Varèse’s historic work Ionisation, presented with double instrumentation and performers, for the first time.
This concert also serves as a tribute to the remarkable career of Jim Campbell, who taught at the University of Kentucky and directed the percussion ensemble from 1985 to 2023.
