Part of Hancher's 52nd Season

Part of the Steven Schick Residency

On June 29, 2009, 18 intrepid percussionists premiered John Luther Adams’s Inuksuit at the “Roots and Rhizomes” percussion course at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Inuksuit, designed to be performed outdoors with as many as 99 percussionists, is aimed at exploring the sound of a place. The percussionists move while playing, and the audience can move with them or find a shady spot to sit and listen to the whole. Through the music, the sounds of the place assert themselves—birds, wind, water, children playing. At the premiere only six intrepid listeners gathered in a driving rain in the high Canadian Rockies. Now, on its 15th anniversary, audiences are no longer so small. After hundreds of performances on five continents, Inuksuit comes to Iowa City where Schick will be joined by nearly a hundred percussionists from around the Midwest to celebrate this music and its legacy.  

The goal of Inuksuit has always been to focus our ears on the world, and by doing so, to bring the lives of humans closer to the life of our beautiful and scarred planet. In Iowa City, itself a place radically shaped by natural events, Inuksuit will come alive again and will help us hear the world and each other. It has become an anthem: for humans who wish to live in greater harmony with our planet; for musicians who believe that music can happen far from concert stages, and for listeners who wish to find beauty in the small sounds of everyday life. 

What is INUKSUIT?:

Inuksuit — a 70-minute piece — has been described by the New York Times as “the ultimate environmental piece,” while the New Yorker’s Alex Ross hailed it as “one of the most rapturous experiences of my listening life.”

The performance on Sunday, October 6 will feature roughly 100 percussionists dispersed throughout Iowa City’s City Park and along the banks of the Iowa River.

“Each performance of Inuksuit is different,” Adams explains, “determined not just by the ensemble but by the topology and vegetation of the site — even by the songs of the local birds. The musicians are dispersed throughout a large area, and the listeners are free to discover their own individual listening points, which actively shapes their experience. This work is intended to expand our awareness of the never-ending music of the world in which we live, transforming seemingly empty space into a more fully experienced place.”

Steven Schick Website

HANCHER EVENT PARTNERS
Stephen & Victorial West
West Music

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

INUKSUIT: An Introduction:
INUKSUIT is a 70-minute piece by composer John Luther Adams.

The work encourages listeners to expand their awareness of the music produced by the environment around us; to explore, experience, and discover new meaning in the sonic landscape of Iowa City and the natural world of Iowa. Now, on its 15th anniversary, after hundreds of performances on five continents, INUKSUIT comes to Iowa City where Steven Schick will be joined by percussionists from around the Midwest to celebrate this music and its legacy.  

When is INUKSUIT?
The performance is at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 6 and will feature 99 percussionists and a handful of piccolo players dispersed throughout Iowa City’s Lower City Park and along the banks of the Iowa River. 

Who’s playing the music?
2024 marks the 15-year anniversary of the creation of the piece as well as the 70th birthday celebration of  Iowa-native and UI alumnus, percussionist, author, and conductor Steven Schick for whom the piece was written as a wedding gift. In collaboration with UI Percussion and professor Daniel Moore, we are gathering percussionists from across Iowa and the Midwest to come together and play the work. UI percussionists, UI percussion faculty, UI alumni, and visiting percussion studios from peer institutions across the Midwest will form the ensemble performing the piece under the musical direction of Schick.

Where do I park?
There are ample spaces in the numerous parking lots throughout Lower City Park all of which are within easy walking distance of the performance space. There will be signage in the park directing patrons to parking and the performance area. Accessible parking will be available in Lower City Park (City Park Road), directly adjacent to the Riverside Festival Stage.

Do I need a ticket?
No. Both the 2:00 p.m. Pre Concert Talk and the 3:00 p.m. performance of John Luther Adams’s INUKSUIT will be free and open to the public!

Should I bring a chair or blanket?
You are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket from which to enjoy the 70-minute performance. The 99 performers of INUKSUIT will span the width of City Park, from the hillside down to banks of the river. Audience members are welcome to wander throughout the park during the piece and to listen from different locations in the park. 

Can I bring food?
You are welcome to bring food and snacks to enjoy during the performance. We ask that any resulting waste be disposed of in City Park’s existing trash receptacles or taken with you from the park.

What happens if it rains?
In the event of inclement weather, INUKSUIT will be moved indoors to the lobby of Hancher Auditorium.

Will bathrooms be available?
Yes. Bathrooms are available in the existing service buildings in City Park. There will be 3 separate restroom facilities located close to the performance area.

Is there an age limit?
No age limit. All are welcome!

Can I bring my dog?
Sorry, please leave your canines at home. Service animals assisting guests are allowed.

Will you have A.D.A accommodations available?
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Paris Sissel in advance at (319) 467-4849 or via email at paris-sissel@uiowa.edu. Hancher staff will be on hand to assist with accessibility needs on the night of the performance.

Am I allowed to smoke?
Smoking and tobacco use are not allowed in Iowa City Parks.