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Press Quotes

"'I am master of silences,' said composer, speaker and percussionist Richard McCandless, accenting his words with a deep throb on one of the drums that surrounded him. In a new composition in which his percussion gives color and emphasis to a text from Rimbaud's 'Illuminations,' he showed himself also a master of sounds -- subtle, emphatic, expertly shaped and richly expressive." - The Washington Post

"Percussionist Richard McCandless bypassed music's melodic dimension, but achieved considerable drama and psychological depth in his composition 'Childhood,' a performance of texts by Arthur Rimbaud in which he brilliantly accompanies his own speaking voice on a variety of drums." - The Washington Post

"The concert ended with a piece by McCandless called 'Pile Driver,' which he introduced with the half-boast 'This piece is not subtle,' but the poetry McCandless found in the cacophony made 'Pile Driver' absorbing." - The Washington Post

"Mr. McCandless clearly places a high priority on communication as well as innovation." - The Washington Post

"The Moss piece ['Apresludes' - Lawrence Moss], in the approachable, lyric style that has become noticeable in recent works by this excellent composer, is a virtuoso exercise for flute and percussion, dedicated to Pompilo and McCandless, who performed it superbly." - The Washington Post

"Luciano Berio's 'Circles' was beautifully performed by Elizabeth Kirkpatrick (the thinking man's soprano) and the Amaranth ensemble. Especially noteworthy was the precise and often delicate percussion-playing of Richard McCandless and Richard O'Meara." - The Washington Post

"Erik Bergman's 'Triumph of Being Here' for soprano, flute and percussion, begins with dreams and ends with a paean to being alive. Soprano Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, flutist Jan Pompilo and percussionist Richard McCandless provided a superior performance." - The Washington Times

 

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