PULSE!
STRIKE PERCUSSION, WELLINGTON
Date and Time: Sat 21 March, 10am SOLD OUT. Additional Show 11.30am
Venue: Capital E
Price: $16.50 per person
Duration: 55 minutes
Age: 6 years and up
About the performance
Televised to 26 million people in Mexico, these guys have performed from Tokyo to Invercargill. You won’t want to miss this show choreographed especially for the Festival. A sure-fire crowd pleaser, they bang, swish and tap an infectious beat that dares you to try and stay in your seat. Prepare to develop a passion for percussion.
Strike Percussion are New Zealand’s most outstanding percussionists, specialising in movement-based choreographed performance. Pacific, classical and contemporary musical influences, combined with a theatrical presentation, make Strike unique in the word of music.
About the performers
Founded in 1993, STRIKE has worked with leading New Zealand composers, composed its own pieces and collaborated with other musicians and groups from dancers to symphony orchestras.
MURRAY HICKMAN Murray, a founding member of Strike, graduated from the Wellington Conservatorium of Music in 1993, then studied with Michael Askill at the Institute of the Arts at the Australian National University, before becoming an Assistant Lecturer in Percussion at the ANU in 1996-97. Murray has been Principal Timpanist with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, recorded solo and chamber works for the Anthology of Australian Music on CD, and toured the USA as soloist with the National Band of NZ. He has performed for Chamber Music New Zealand, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Wellington Sinfonia and the New Zealand Percussion Ensemble.
TIM WHITTA Tim joined Strike in 1999. He is now one of the creative directors and main composers. He studied at the Wellington Conservatorium of Music at Massey University graduating in 2002 with a Batchelor of Music majoring in percussion. He has studied with Jeremy Fitzsimons and Gareth Farr. Tim has played percussion with the Wellington Sinfonia, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia. He has toured with Chamber Music New Zealand, and has worked with people as diverse as Anika Moa and Saxcess. As a composer Tim's credits also include music for film and dance.
TOM PIERARD Tom Pierard is from Napier originally and has been with STRIKE since November 2005. He joined while completing his BMus, in which he majored in peformance jazz drum-set playing. Aside from touring internationally and throughout NZ with the group, he also plays regularly with bands and jazz combos around Wellington, including 'The Jazz Tempered trio'. Having come from a large musical family, his musical interests are very broad and diverse, ranging from heavy metal to opera.
LENI SULUSI From his beginnings as principal percussionist for the New Zealand National Youth Brass Band 1999, 2000 and on their tour to the United Kingdom, in 2003, Leni has pursued a career as a percussion player and composer. An itinerant percussion and drum kit teacher for several years in a number of Auckland schools, Leni has worked with the Auckland Philharmonia, the Wellington Sinfonia orchestra. He has been principal percussionist for the Dalewool Auckland Brass, including as a feature soloist on Dalewool's CD Variation. Compositions include previous works for STRIKE and E Pa Pa for Elena and the Wellington Sinfonia.