Performance Spotlight: NEY ROSAURO's Concerto for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble In this exclusive video series, world renowned composer and performer Ney Rosauro performs the most popular marimba concerto in the world today, his own “Concerto for Marimba” – with the University of Miami Percussion Ensemble. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ney has developed a successful international career as a percussionist, composer and pedagogue. He is an immensely popular composer of percussion concerti with an average of 1200 performances each year by distinguished orchestras and wind ensembles worldwide. His numerous compositions and method books have become standards in the percussion repertoire and his CDs have been hailed by critics, percussionists and general music-lovers alike. As soloist and pedagogue he has presented courses, solo concerts and performances with orchestras in around the world.

PROGRAM NOTES:
Ney Rosauro's Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra was written in June and July of 1986 in Brasília and is dedicated to the composer's son Marcelo. The work was originally written for marimba and string orchestra and was premiered in the USA the same year with the Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin under the direction of Manuel Prestamo. The Wind Ensemble version is arranged by Dr. Thomas McCutchen.

With the commercial success of a 1990 CD and video by Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie and the London Symphony Orchestra, the Concerto rapidly came to be regarded as part of the standard literature for percussion. It is considered to be the most popular marimba concerto today, and has been performed by more than eight hundred orchestras worldwide.

The concerto contains four movements - unusual for the concerto form – which follow the fast-slow-fast pattern, with the medium tempo third movement inserted before the vigorous finale. Some Brazilian motifs and jazz elements are used throughout the piece, which contains strong rhythmic patterns and catchy melodies. The marimba leads the thematic material throughout much the piece, and as a result, the marimba part of certain movements can be performed solo, without orchestral accompaniment. The solo part explores the many possibilities of modern four-mallet technique, and according to reviews from Percussive Notes magazine "the concerto is superbly written for the unique timbre and virtuoso technical qualities of the marimba."

Ney Rosauro designed this special series of marimba and vibraphone mallets to reflect the sound he desires for his award winning compositions. Rattan shafts and rubber cores coupled with special yarn and cord choices assure the player of a pure and natural sound that projects the full capabilities of the instrument.

	For Marimba:
		M221 Soft. For rich bass and well defined fundamental in the lower register. With rattan shafts. L = 16 3/4” M221B With birch shafts. L = 16 3/4”
		M222 Medium Soft. Produces a warm and round sound while maintaining clear articulation. With rattan shafts. L = 16 3/4" M222B With birch shafts. L = 16 3/4”
		M223 Medium Hard. A versatile and general mallet that produces full and natural sound throughout the entire keyboard. With rattan shafts. L = 16 3/4" M223B With birch shafts. L = 16 3/4”
		M224 Hard. Cuts well, but still maintains a pure fundamental sound. With rattan shafts. L = 16 3/4" M224B With birch shafts. L = 16 3/4”
	For Vibraphone:
			M225 Soft. Designed specifically for the low register of the extended range vibraphone. L = 15 3/4"
			M226 Medium. For full and extremely rich sound throughout the keyboard. L = 15 3/4"
			M227 Hard. A heavier mallet that provides more articulation and is ideal for large halls. L = 15 3/4"
	Hybrid:
			M228 General. An all purpose mallet for rich, full sound on any keyboard. L = 16 1/4"
			M229 Very Hard. A very articulate and extremely powerful mallet. L = 16 1/4"
		Ney Rosauro Symphonic Signature Stick A versatile, multi-purpose snare drum stick featuring an elongated tip with increased surface area for enhanced sound quality. A long taper provides excellent rebound, while a slight taper towards the butt enhances the balance. Excellent for concert playing as well as for drum set. In hickory. L = 16.56"; Dia. = .600';

Click here to see the World Premiere Performance of “Serenata” for Marimba/Vibraphone and Orchestra by Ney Rosauro.