UMD performs at Rhizome - works by Wolfe, Reich, Beethoven, Fields, Rojas
UMD at Rhizome brings experimental student and faculty performers from the University of Maryland School of Music to Rhizome DC for an evening of contemporary and classical chamber music. The program spans string quartet, percussion quartet, and piano works by Julia Wolfe, Catherine Fields, Steve Reich, John Pablo Rojas, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Reich’s contribution is Part I of *Drumming*. Musicologist Will Robin hosts the performance.
The performers include the Atria Quartet, the University of Maryland Percussion Quartet, percussion professor Jonathan Bisesi, and composer-pianist Catherine Fields. The event connects emerging UMD musicians with a broad repertoire ranging from Beethoven and other traditional composers to experimental and underrepresented voices.
When: Monday, October 19, 2026.
Showtimes: Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. The event listing runs through 10:00 p.m.
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.
Lineup: The Atria Quartet features Mari Jo Downing and Gaby Echiverri on violin, Nicholas Wilbur on viola, and John Pablo Rojas on cello. The University of Maryland Percussion Quartet comprises William Brown, Kayden Smutz, Ryder Haines, and Trent Bowman. Jonathan Bisesi, director of UMD’s Percussion Studio, also performs, as does composer and pianist Catherine Fields.
Atria Quartet: Formed in 2025 as the University of Maryland School of Music’s fellowship string quartet, the Atria Quartet is the school’s flagship chamber string ensemble. Its members have performed at festivals in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and its repertoire ranges from Baroque to modern music, including works by traditionally underrepresented composers. The musicians also perform with UMD’s Symphony Orchestra and Opera Orchestra and read new compositions by student composers. Their coaches are Dr. Eric Kutz and Dr. James Stern.
University of Maryland Percussion Quartet: William Brown, Kayden Smutz, Ryder Haines, and Trent Bowman perform regularly in UMD ensembles while maintaining work with orchestras, festivals, and chamber groups in the United States and abroad. The quartet focuses on the varied sounds, textures, and collaborative possibilities of percussion chamber music.
Jonathan Bisesi: Bisesi directs the UMD Percussion Studio, teaches private lessons and percussion-related courses, and leads the UMD Percussion Ensemble. He performed with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band from 2004 through 2024 and has appeared with ensembles including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestras.
Catherine Fields: Fields is a Northern Virginia composer and pianist whose work includes music for wind band, orchestra, voice, piano, and chamber ensembles. Her compositions have been commissioned or 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, presents clinics and masterclasses, and contributes to *The North American Wind Symphony*.