Surface Tension: Donnecha Dennehy by Various, No (2022/2022), Universal Music, Toronto, Canada

Both the 7 & 9:30 performances feature Irish composer Donnecha Dennehy’s sizzler for percussion quartet called Surface Tension, performed by Canada’s virtuoso percussion ensemble TorQ Percussion Quartet. This work was inspired both by the historic collection of percussion instruments at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and by the techniques used to play the bodhran, the traditional Irish frame drum. The first part of both performances features six world premieres for percussion – six short new works – all composed by the brilliant participants in Soundstreams’ RBC Bridges Emerging Composer Program. The emerging artists in this program have been chosen through an international competition and mentored by Donnacha Dennehy in the week leading up to this showcase. TorQ, who are the resident ensemble for this year’s RBC Bridges program, will perform their new works.