Percussionist Arthur Lipner performs in Cedar City for SUU Percussion Festival
By Ashley Pollock
Southern Utah University’s percussion ensemble will host the SUU Percussion Festival April 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Thorley Recital Hall of the music building on SUU’s campus. Guest artist Arthur Lipner will teach workshops and perform with the SUU Percussion Ensemble. This concert is free and open to the public.
Lipner has been working professionally as a percussionist since the age of 14. He has performed on almost 50 albums, appeared in 25 countries, and has had almost 100 recordings of his compositions published. His specialty is jazz marimba and vibes.
“We are working on several pieces this semester, all themed around happiness,” said Emily Sexton, a percussion student at SUU. “Some of the pieces we’re working on include Alex Stopa’s ‘Three Scenes From the Desert,’ a three-movement piece inspired by the desert landscapes of southern Nevada and California; Clif Walker’s ‘Shine’; and Claude Debussy’s ‘Sarabande,’ arranged for three marimbas by SUU’s own professor Joe Howe. I am also absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to work and perform with Arthur Lipner on his piece ‘Lime Juice.’”
“Our program is based around the idea of sunshine and the energy that it creates,” said Jordan Nielsen, a senior percussion student at SUU. “My favorite work on the program is ‘Soar’ by Robert Oetomo, a marimba concerto with percussion ensemble accompaniment. The piece has an energetic and optimistic quality that reminds me of flying above the clouds.”
