Originally commissioned by Dame Evelyn Glennie for drum kit and piano (PE008), Drum Dances is now available for percussion ensembles with this new arrangement by Dr. Omar Carmenates, Assistant Prof. of Percussion, Furman University, USA. It features one drum kit soloist with five mallet players on two vibraphones, two marimbas, one xylophone, one glockenspiel, three gongs and crotales.
Each of the four dances is stimulated by a certain rhythmic interaction possible between the performers. The work is heavily influenced by jazz and rock music, particularly that of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Psathas was greatly inspired by the drumming of Dave Weckl, the very different piano styles of Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea, and the enormous energy in the music of guitarists like Steve Vai.
John Psathas is a New Zealand freelance composer and teacher who, at a relatively early stage in his career, has established an international profile and receives regular commissions from organisations both in New Zealand and overseas. His works are championed around the world by a growing number of leading international artists, one of the most consistent of whom has been the Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Initially making a name for himself as a composer of high-energy percussion music, more recently the composer has concentrated on a series of larger-scale concertante works. A major career highlight to date has been the commission to compose the ceremonial music for the opening and closing of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In 2005 John Psathas was created an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to music.
