UMD performs at Rhizome - works by Wolfe, Reich, Beethoven, Fields, Rojas
University of Maryland student and faculty musicians take over Rhizome for an evening of experimental and contemporary chamber music. The program features works for string quartet, percussion, and piano by Julia Wolfe, Catherine Fields, Steve Reich, John Pablo Rojas, and Ludwig van Beethoven, including the first part of Reich’s *Drumming*. Musicologist Will Robin hosts the performance.
The performers include the Atria Quartet, the University of Maryland Percussion Quartet, percussionist and UMD faculty member Jonathan Bisesi, and composer-pianist Catherine Fields. The Atria Quartet’s members are violinists Mari Jo Downing and Gaby Echiverri, violist Nicholas Wilbur, and cellist John Pablo Rojas. Formed in 2025 as UMD’s fellowship string quartet, the ensemble performs repertoire ranging from the Baroque era through modern music, including works by traditionally underrepresented composers. Its members also perform with UMD’s Symphony Orchestra and Opera Orchestra and work with student composers under the mentorship of Dr. Eric Kutz and Dr. James Stern.
The University of Maryland Percussion Quartet comprises William Brown, Kayden Smutz, Ryder Haines, and Trent Bowman. The musicians perform with university ensembles and maintain professional activities with orchestras, festivals, and chamber groups in the United States and abroad. Their work explores the varied sounds, textures, and collaborative possibilities of percussion chamber music.
When: Monday, October 19, 2026
Schedule: Doors open at 7:00 PM; the show begins at 7:30 PM.
Tickets: $10–$20
Venue: Rhizome DC
Program: Music by Julia Wolfe, Catherine Fields, Steve Reich, John Pablo Rojas, and Ludwig van Beethoven, including Part I of Reich’s *Drumming*.
Host: Musicologist Will Robin
Performers: The Atria Quartet, the University of Maryland Percussion Quartet, Jonathan Bisesi, and Catherine Fields
Atria Quartet: Mari Jo Downing and Gaby Echiverri, violin; Nicholas Wilbur, viola; John Pablo Rojas, cello
University of Maryland Percussion Quartet: William Brown, Kayden Smutz, Ryder Haines, and Trent Bowman
Jonathan Bisesi: Director of the UMD Percussion Studio, where he teaches private lessons and percussion-related courses and directs the UMD Percussion Ensemble. He previously played percussion with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band from 2004 through 2024 and has performed with ensembles including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.
Catherine Fields: A Northern Virginia composer and pianist whose work includes music for wind band, orchestra, voice, piano, and chamber ensembles. Her compositions have been commissioned and performed by groups such as the Akropolis Reed Quintet, MIT Concert Band, Waynesboro Symphony, American Festival Pops Orchestra, and Hub New Music. She also teaches theory, aural skills, and composition and holds music degrees from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and George Mason University.