PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS: The 11th annual So Percussion Summer Institute is at Princeton University through July 27, bringing unique sounds on unique instruments to several locations around town. All of the public performances are free.

So Percussion, the Princeton University Edward T. Cone Ensemble-in-Residence, has begun the 2019 So Percussion Summer Institute (“SoSI”). Now in its 11th year, the two-week chamber music seminar is a summer cultural tradition in Princeton, with showcases of the range of percussion instruments included in the institute.

Free performances are being held through July 27 at locations on and off the campus, including the Lewis Center for the Arts, Small World Coffee, Hinds Plaza, and Fine Hall. This year’s institute centers on the “Culture of Collaboration,” drawing attention to the web of contributors involved in every successful artistic project. In addition to performances and an annual food-packing event for Arm in Arm (formerly the Crisis Ministry of Mercer County), the institute includes premieres of new pieces written by Princeton University graduate student composers, masterclasses with composers and performers, and open readings of participants’ works-in-progress by members of So Percussion.

Since its inception in 1999, education has been a vital part of So Percussion’s mission. Its members share a belief that inherent in an artist’s career is a responsibility to pass on practical advice and mentorship to young artists. The annual So Percussion Summer Institute (SoSI), founded in 2009, provides a unique educational opportunity to percussionists and composers at one of the most critical stages of their development. The program offers a hands-on experience that brings the practical and theoretical together by commissioning and creating new music, collaborations, rehearsals and development, and performance.

As of 2014, So Percussion are the Edward T. Cone Performers-in-Residence at Princeton University, making Princeton a year-round hub of their activities. SoSI is an integral part of the performance and composition scene at Princeton. Each year, Princeton Ph.D. students write new works for SoSI students, and several alumni of the SoSI composition program have since studied there.

Performances began Monday, July 14. Donations of non-perishable food, toiletries, and diapers for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) are being collected at these concerts. Audience members may place their donations in the designated boxes outside the performance space.

Auditing options are available to the general public. Visit sopercussion.com for more information on auditing, and a full schedule of locations and programs.