CU-Bloomsburg Percussion Ensemble to Perform Nov. 17
Bloomsburg, PA (11/13/2026) — The Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg Percussion Ensemble will perform on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pettit Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. The performance is free and open to the public.
The ensemble is comprised of the following student members: Gavin Dwen, Brayden Freiwald, Deno Gualtieri, Ben Karnes, Amelia Karr, Trinity Miller, Nick Pigos, Tyler Sibbett, Evan Statts, Wrenn Underkoffler, Alyssa Vasyanovich, and Chris Yaple.
The program will include:
- Diablo (2010) by Kandis K. Taylor
- Chopsticks (1941) by Charles Owen. Alyssa Vasyanovich, soloist, arranged by R. Hicks (2013)
- Xerosis (2018) by Josh Gottry
- Triskaidekaphobia (2012) by Josh Gottry
- Combination Lock (2025) by Nicholas Fields
- Hydra (2018) by Chad Heiny
- The Gilded Age (2005) by Susan Powell
- Marimba Concerto (1949), Movement 1, by Paul Creston. Wrenn Underkoffler, Soloist, arranged by W. Underkoffler (2026)
The ensemble is directed by Dr. Gifford Howarth, currently an associate professor of music at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg. In his 20th year at Bloomsburg, Howarth is endorsed by Yamaha percussion, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjian cymbals, and Remo drumheads. He has presented and adjudicated throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe.