Sixtrum Percussion Ensemble

Sixtrum is a professional percussion ensemble in residence at the Faculty of Music of the University of Montreal.   Sixtrum’s goal is to renew the genre developed during the second half of the 20th Century.

Sixtrum promotes research, creativity and innovation in the area of percussion. The ensemble endeavors to rediscover the major classics of the existing percussion repertoire (Cage, Kagel, Xenakis) while simultaneously discovering Canadian creators of today (Gilbert, Grégoire, Holbrook, Piché, Roy, Tremblay). The ensemble proposes traditional concerts, which encourage the development and diffusion of repertoire for percussion alone, as well as more spectacular events including collaborations with creators and performers from other artistic disciplines. In 2007 they performed with saxophone quartet Quasar in concert In Tempo ! and in their 2008-09 season they look forward to collaborating with the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, the Société de Musique Contemporaine du Québec, and I Musici.

Created in 2007, Sixtrum is Montreal percussionists João Catalão, Julien Grégoire, Philip Hornsey, Kristie Ibrahim, Robert Leroux and Fabrice Marandola.  Each member brings to the group years of experience in all areas of percussion. Together, they share a vision of percussion and the desire to renew the genre. As part of their mission for the creation and development of percussion in Canada and abroad, Sixtrum strives to reach young audiences, to establish performance opportunities for young professionals and to contribute to the research of various aspects of contemporary percussion. Sixtrum regularly welcomes to the group graduate students from the Montreal area as stagiaires. Sixtrum is supported by the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, Canada Council of the Arts, and the Faculty of Music of the University of Montreal.

Sixtrum works well in the dynamic context of the Faculty of Music of the University of Montreal, whose research objectives lean toward the creation and development of tools and technology for the creation and promotion of new forms of musical expression.