blueshift percussion quartet

   Christopher Butler | Matthew Geiger                                                 Jeremy Maytum | Francisco Perez

Founded in 2015, blueSHIFT Percussion is dedicated to the performance of modern works for percussion and engaging new audiences with thrilling performances. In astronomy, a “blueshift” is defined as a shift towards shorter wavelengths of the spectral lines of a celestial object, tracking the movement from the object as it grows ever closer to the observer. Inspired by the audible physics of percussion, the mission of blueSHIFT is to connect with our audience through chamber percussion music and to create authentic relationships with percussion composers. In a more literal sense, BlueSHIFT is an homage to the University of Kentucky percussion program, where all members have been DMA students under the direction of Prof. James Campbell. 

We are excited for our upcoming spring tour in March 2017, where we will be performing concerts and giving masterclasses at the following institutions: Colorado State University, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale,  the University of Tennessee-Martin, and the University of Kentucky.

Click here for more details, and we hope to see you there!

For more information about who we are, click here to view our press kit. Please email me if you'd like to inquire about having us perform and present clinics/masterclasses for your program.

selva luminosa - francisco perez

"Selva Luminosa" - translated as luminous jungle - is my first work for mallet quartet in which I sought to feature an earthy, almost tribal sound palette in the marimbas against the shimmering and brilliant sound of the vibraphone. Much of the language throughout stems from my daily exposure to a slew of Latin American genres such as merengue, cumbia, and salsa from an early age as well as my admiration for the music of Michel Camillo. -FP

Selva Luminosa was written in February 2017 for BlueSHIFT Percussion and premiered during our Spring 2017 Tour at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. 

trying - david skidmore

Trying is a set of 3 movements that explore layering of multiple rhythmic cycles. The work draws inspiration from the driving but metrically ambiguous music of Swedish heavy metal band Meshuggah and the kaleidoscopic percussion writing of composer Alejandro Viñao, but lives in a more transparent sound world, where each repeating voice floats against the others in its own metric cycle.

kyoto - john psathas

The title of the work refers to the recording of an improvisation by pianist Keith Jarrett that took place in Kyoto on November 5th, 1976. Acknowledging the influence of this recording, the composer writes: 
"This improvisation of Jarrett's is, more than anything, the piece that woke the composer in me, and set me on this journey of creating my own music for others.

haikoustics - enrique guimera

 15 short marimba pieces based on the composer's experience living on a tropical island through haikus. In this performance, we were joined by Nick Bolchoz.