Peter Ferry

Join Us for a Free Performance by Acclaimed Percussionist Peter Ferry

October 1, 2024

Wednesday, November 6 in PPL’s Donald J. Farish Auditorium, 5:30 – 7 pm

PPL is pleased to present a performance by American percussionist Peter Ferry, acclaimed for his virtuosic expressivity and dedication to creating arresting musical experiences for audiences around the world. Called “an artist of vision… presenting percussion in a stunning thoughtful way,” (Democrat and Chronicle) Ferry puts audience experience first. His contagious passion for percussion and commitment to sharing artistic excellence have earned him praise as “the ingenious percussionist Peter Ferry” (Chicago Sun-Times).

A passionate advocate for new music, he has devoted himself to collaborating with the most exciting composers of our time. He has premiered works by Meredith Monk, Shawn Okpebholo, Valgeir Sigurðsson, Marc Mellits, Jlin, Elliot Cole, Ivan Treviño, and John Luther Adams. As a soloist and chamber musician currently based in Phoenix, Ferry’s performances have spanned the United States, Canada, South America, and Europe. He has appeared onstage at Carnegie Hall, Santiago a Mil International Festival, Brooklyn Steele, (le) poisson rouge, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Kennedy Center.

Driven by a belief in artistic collaboration, Ferry fosters projects beyond the boundaries of contemporary music. With Emmy Award-winning light and shadow artists Manual Cinema, he developed shows that are “endlessly imaginative and exquisitely beautiful” (The New Yorker). Tours of his experimental partnership with video artist Xuan are “breathtaking… funny, boundary-pushing, thought-provoking” (Rochester Fringe Festival critic Jeff Spevak).

A member of Alarm Will Sound, the chamber orchestra named “the future of classical music” (The New York Times), Ferry develops the group’s ambitious projects as Assistant Director of Artistic Planning. He has staged, conducted, and led the ensemble in performances at the Park Avenue Armory, Bang on a Can Festival, and Philharmonie de Paris. In the American contemporary music community, Ferry has appeared as a guest with Ensemble Dal Niente and the GRAMMY-award winning ensembles Third Coast Percussion and Eighth Blackbird. When directing large-scale community events, he leads participants of every musical background in the joys of shared artistic experiences. He is artistic director of Flowerpot Music with composer Elliot Cole, presented for Lincoln Center with students of The Juilliard School.

As an educator, Ferry dedicates time while touring to coach students on advancing their own artistry. He has been welcomed at notable music schools and conservatories including Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Universidad de Chile, Blackbird Creative Lab, and New York University.

This event is open and free to the public; registration is required.  Free parking for first 35 cars at the LAZ parking lot, 209 Fountain St., next door to PPL.

Suggested donation: $10.