Percussion Ensemble Stuttgart

The Percussion Ensemble Stuttgart was founded in 1982 by Professor Klaus Treßelt. Today, the ensemble has kept its name and consists of a fluctuating mix of both advanced and former students from the university’s percussion class.

The ensemble has developed a varied program that is performed on exotic drums, cymbals and gongs as well as other percussion instruments from all over the world. The program comprises transcripts of original baroque music through to African drum music and theatrical finger ballet and also includes the classical percussion ensemble literature.

Under the guidance of their lecturers: Marta Klimasara, Klaus Dreher and Jürgen Spitschka the students participate in regularly changing line ups. In addition to the pure percussion programs, the students can also take part in other line ups as, for example: percussion groups, in ensembles for contemporary music as well as with string orchestras or in larger symphonies.

More recently, the young percussionists took part in co-productions with: the Stuttgart Ballet, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the Gauthier Dance Group. They also travelled abroad to participate in a variety of international festivals such as in Valencia, Spain, Italy and Costa Rica. Closer to home, they were guests at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspielen. In southern Germany, the ensemble is perhaps best known for their TalkingDrums concerts. More locally, the percussion ensemble was invited to numerous festivals, for example: Oberstdorfer Musiksommer, Schwarzwald Musikfestival, Festival Musik auf Schloß Filseck and the Musikfestwochen Oberschwaben.

Source: Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart