Every year, a new ensemble of young musicians living in Europe is formed and travels to several academies and festivals in the ULYSSES network.
2022 marks the first time that the ULYSSES Ensemble will be an ensemble entirely dedicated to percussion, and will travel from June to September from the ManiFeste Academy to the Time of Music Festival to the Gaudeamus Festival ending with the Warsaw Autumn Festival.
The ULYSSES Ensemble will be made up of 5 percussionists, accompanied by a percussionist from the Percussions de Strasbourg who will lead and guide the young performers throughout their journey. The young percussionists will be welcomed in Strasbourg, where they will rehearse together the different pieces for their tour. They will work closely with the musicians from the Percussions de Strasbourg, more particularly with Rémi Schwartz, who will conduct them and accompany them, but also with young composers Mioko Yokoyama and James Alexandropoulos-McEwan, who have written two pieces especially for them, commissioned by members of the ULYSSES network.
During the Gaudeamus Festival in Utrecht, this following programm will be performed:
- James Alexandropoulos-McEwan new work for 6 percussionists and electronics (2022), commissioned by Time of Music, Gaudeamus Festival, Warsaw Autumn Festival, Dutch Premiere
- Per Nørgård Square and Round (1985)
- Iannis Xenakis Métaux, excerpts from Pléiades (1978-1979)
- Mioko Yokoyama new work for 6 percussionists (2022), commissioned by Time of Music, Gaudeamus Festival, Warsaw Autumn Festival, Dutch Premiere
