SANDBOX PERCUSSION SEMINAR
June 9-15, 2026
Sandbox Percussion Summer Seminar
The New School
Join The College of Performing Arts’ celebrated Ensemble-in-Residence, Sandbox Percussion, in NYC for an immersive program celebrating Steve Reich’s 90th birthday and the music he inspired.
ABOUT THE SUMMER SEMINAR
Sandbox Percussion is thrilled to celebrate the Summer Seminar’s 11th year with a celebration of Steve Reich’s 90th birthday. This year’s intensive will culminate in a collaborative performance of Drumming—performed by all participants alongside the members of Sandbox Percussion. Throughout the week, participants will engage in daily rehearsals, coachings, and workshops, studying one of the most influential works in the percussion repertoire from the inside out.
In addition to Drumming, participants will be placed in chamber music groups to rehearse and perform works not only by Steve Reich, but also by the many composers who have drawn inspiration from his groundbreaking musical language. These ensembles will rehearse for several hours each day, closely guided by Sandbox Percussion as they explore rehearsal techniques, collaborative processes, and creative discourse.
To deepen this experience, each group will receive intensive coaching from all four members of Sandbox Percussion throughout the week. Participants will also take part in “sit-in” sessions, where Sandbox members join their ensembles to rehearse, experiment, and offer hands-on insights into chamber music communication.
The week also includes evening masterclasses and discussions with Sandbox Percussion, focusing on both the artistic and pragmatic sides of sustaining a professional chamber ensemble. The final concert will feature a complete performance of Drumming as well as chamber works prepared by all participant groups.
Applicants may apply individually, and pre-existing chamber groups are welcome. If applying as a pre-existing chamber ensemble, each individual member must complete an application form. Please also include a list of all group members, as well as any additional information you would like to share about your group.
Seminar Participant Application Process
Please note that students must be at least 16 years of age by June 1, 2026 in order to participate in the Summer Seminar. Deadlines
- February 28, 2026 / Early Decision
- April 30, 2026 / Regular Decision
All students must submit an application below and will be required to provide the following:
- Written OR selfie-style video response (approximately 250 words OR a 1-minute video) explaining why you want to come to the Sandbox Percussion Seminar, what you are hoping to learn, and what you are hoping to share.
- Three links to recordings (preferably video) of yourself playing:
- One solo on a mallet instrument
- One contrasting piece of your choice, on an instrument of your choice
- One additional chamber music performance consisting of 2-8 players including yourself
PRE-EXISTING ENSEMBLES: A list of all group members (NB: each member must submit an application form), as well as any additional information you would like to share about your group.
APPLY TODAY!
OBSERVATION PASS
Open to participants of all ages.
We are delighted to offer an Observation Pass for the Summer Seminar, open to everyone of all ages – from students to hobbyists to professionals. Observation Pass participants will be able to observe all performance classes, Sandbox Percussion masterclasses, and guest artist seminars. They will also be given priority seating at the final Seminar concert on June 15,2026.
Please complete the Observation Pass interest form here. Once reviewed, follow up information will be provided to complete registration.
Housing is available for observation pass participants who are at least 18 years of age by June 1, 2026.
Observation Pass registration is due no later than June 1, 2026.
TUITION AND HOUSING
Cost of attendance is $1,100 + $40 New School registration fee for the entire program and includes all rehearsals, master classes, lectures, and performances. Tuition is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Cost of the Observation Pass is $300 + $40 New School registration fee and includes access to the Performance Classes, Guest Seminars, and priority seating at the Seminar concert.
Housing is available to Seminar and Observation Pass participants ages 18 and older. Please indicate your interest in housing on the application form.
The cost of housing at The New School is $522 + $45 linen fee.
ABOUT SANDBOX PERCUSSION
Ensemble-in-Residence at the College of Performing Arts
Described as “exhilarating” (The New York Times) and “utterly mesmerizing” (The Guardian), GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion brings out the best in composers through their unwavering dedication to artistry in contemporary chamber music. Sandbox Percussion captivates audiences with performances that are both visually and aurally stunning, solidifying them as leaders in the fields of contemporary music and percussion. Brought together by their love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together, Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Ian Rosenbaum, and Terry Sweeney engage a wider audience for classical music through multidisciplinary collaborations with today’s leading artists.
ABOUT STEVE REICH
Steve Reich has been called “the most original musical thinker of our time” (The New Yorker) and “among the great composers of the century” (The New York Times). Starting in the 1960s, his pieces It’s Gonna Rain, Drumming, Music for 18 Musicians, Tehillim, Different Trains, and many others helped shift the aesthetic center of musical composition worldwide away from extreme complexity and towards rethinking pulsation and tonal attraction in new ways. He continues to influence younger generations of composers and mainstream musicians and artists all over the world.
Double Sextet won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 and Different Trains, Music for 18 Musicians, and an album of his percussion works have all earned GRAMMY Awards. He received the Praemium Imperiale in Tokyo, the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm, the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge award in Madrid, the Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall, and the Gold Medal in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been named Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, and awarded honorary doctorates by the Royal College of Music in London, the Juilliard School in New York, and the Liszt Academy in Budapest, among others.
One of the most frequently choreographed composers, several noted choreographers have created dances to his music, including Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Jirí Kylián, Jerome Robbins, Justin Peck, Wayne McGregor, Benjamin Millepied, and Christopher Wheeldon.
Reich’s documentary video opera works—The Cave and Three Tales, done in collaboration with video artist Beryl Korot—opened new directions for music theater and have been performed on four continents. His work Quartet, for percussionist Colin Currie, sold out two consecutive concerts at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London shortly after tens of thousands at the Glastonbury Festival heard Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead) perform Electric Counterpoint, followed by the London Sinfonietta performing his Music for 18 Musicians. “There’s just a handful of living composers who can legitimately claim to have altered the direction of musical history and Steve Reich is one of them,” The Guardian.
