Third Coast Percussion Takes Home First Grammy Award

Third Coast Percussion won its first Grammy Award Sunday, February 12, for their acclaimed Cedille Records release, Third Coast Percussion / Steve Reich.

The Chicago-based ensemble won for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance during a pre-ceremony before the Grammy broadcast.

The ensemble, comprised of members Sean Connor, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, and David Skidmore, also performed with Ravi Coltrane during the pre-ceremony award festivities. Steve Reich was recorded at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center in the Leighton Concert Hall.

"This is a landmark moment in the center's relationship with a great group of artists who are incredibly hardworking creators and inventive performers. On behalf of my staff, and the many within the Notre Dame and South Bend communities that Third Coast Percussion inspires-congratulations! It's a well-deserved win," said Ted Barron, executive director of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

"I could not be happier for Third Coast Percussion. As Notre Dame's Ensemble-in-Residence, it has been extremely gratifying to support and witness their development as world-class artists," said Associate Director of Programming and Engagement Sean Martin. "Whether it's playing the works of classical contemporary composers, exemplified by their Grammy-winning Steve Reich album, or commissioning emerging composers to create original works for percussion, their mastery of the art form was rightly acknowledged by the Recording Academy. I look forward to seeing what comes next from David, Peter, Rob, and Sean."

Since its formation in 2005, Third Coast Percussion has gained national attention with concerts and recordings that meld the energy of rock music with the precision and nuance of classical chamber works. Hailed by The New Yorker as "vibrant" and "superb," this trailblazing ensemble explores and expands the extraordinary sonic possibilities of the percussion repertoire, delivering exciting performances for audiences of all kinds. Third Coast Percussion assumed the position of Ensemble-in-Residence at the University of Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center in 2013. They have the honor of being the first ensemble at the University of Notre Dame to create a permanent and progressive ensemble residency program at the center. The ensemble performs multiple recitals annually as part of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center's Presenting Series season. Third Coast Percussion at Notre Dame is made possible through the generosity of Shari and Tom Crotty.

Since opening in September 2004, the University of Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center has become an integral part of the University's vision and commitment to becoming a preeminent research university. It is the University's leading presenter of world-class artistic programming, one with an institutional focus on contemporary works. As an academic space, the center enhances the scholarship, teaching, and practice of the performing and cinematic arts. As a community space, the center welcomes more than 100,000 patrons annually, including thousands of K-12 students in education and related artistic programs. Presenting Series and Browning Cinema programs are curated to increase the center's capacity to educate, enlighten, and engage.

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