Percussionist Andy Cierny has found drummers are sometimes forgotten in his musical field, especially when anchored to the back of a stage space filled with rows of other musicians front and center before a concert audience.
“I think it’s natural that an audience might focus more on strings and brass section at an orchestra concert, even if that perception is based on seating and sightlines,” Cierny said.
“That’s when it becomes even more important that a percussion section has dedicated moments to shine.”
Cierny is in concert at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 4 during the Northwest Indiana Symphony’s Percussion Ensemble in The Center for Visual and Performing Arts.
Cierny is teamed with fellow percussionists Brandon Podjasek and Jeff Handley in a performance featuring a variety of percussion instruments, including vibraphone, xylophone, congas, tom-toms, snare drum and drum set.
“It’s an entertaining afternoon, as well as time devoted during the 90 minutes for learning about a number of these instruments and their history,” Cierny said.
“There’s one special number that we will do, just the three of us using our hands and clapping to recreate the sound of the very first ancient musical sounds which formed rhythm.”
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Pieces highlighted during the percussion concert include “Stamina” by Mitch Markovich, “Group Therapy for One” by Brian Wach, “Trance” by David Friedman and “Clapping Music” by Steve Reich.
“I was approached last May by the Northwest Indiana Symphony to be part of this special theme small concert,” said Cierny, who is the principal percussionist for the Northwest Indiana Symphony.
“It can be challenging to come up with pieces which are a good fit for this type of concert. Audiences will love what we’ve come up with for our afternoon together.”
Cierny lives in Chicago but was born and raised in Arlington Heights, and is the principal at the Illinois Symphony and New Philharmonic while holding positions with the South Bend Symphony, Lansing Symphony and Illinois Philharmonic.
“I regularly play with Chicago Philharmonic and Chicago Opera Theater, and from 2004 to 2008 I was a member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.”
He has also performed with the Milwaukee Symphony for 10 seasons, including their 2012 Carnegie Hall concert showcase to perform in the “Spring for Music” festival.
Tammie Miller, marketing coordinator for the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, said the idea “hatched in early 2023? to start producing smaller and “informal” concerts has been successful, with celebrating the talent of key members of the Northwest Indiana Orchestra.
“We had our Symphony Brass Quintet perform a February 2023 concert in this same intimate 400-seat theater space at Center for Visual and Performing Arts and it sold out, so we knew this was something our audiences wanted and enjoyed,” Miller said.
“That concert was a mix of classical and contemporary romantic musical selections billed as an early Valentine’s Day Concert.”
Miller said another small ensemble concert will be hosted in the same space, and also with general admission seating, to highlight flute-themed musical works and select musicians from the orchestra on April 21.
Percussionist Podjasek, joining Cierny for the February ensemble concert, concentrates much of his own stage time as a Broadway musician, and has performed for productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Paramount Theater in Aurora and the Writers Theatre in Glencoe. He has performed in “Wicked,” “Mary Poppins,” “Legally Blonde” and “Into the Woods,” among other runs.
Handley, the other headliner, has organized music education programs in schools for more than 25 years, collaborating with Chicago Sinfonietta, Fulcrum Point, Ravinia, and The DuPage Foundation. He has recently shared the stage with Andrea Bocelli, Johnny Mathis, Plácido Domingo, Hugh Jackman, Mannheim Steamroller, and contributed to productions of “Wicked,” “Aladdin,” “West Side Story” and “Beautiful.”
“There have been many famous percussionist throughout the decades, including Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Ringo Starr,” said Cierny, who has been a permanent fixture with the Northwest Indiana Symphony since 2015, and regular contributor since 2001.
“All percussionists share a rich history.”
Percussionists Trio Concert
When: 2:30 p.m. Feb. 4
Where: The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster
Cost: $30 for adults and $10 for students
Information: 219-836-0525; NISOrchestra.org
Philip Potempa is a freelance reporter for The Post-Tribune.