10 october 2026, 7.30pm

Thauma Ensemble

Oberdrums

Gérard Grisey, Stèle
Steve Reich, Nagoya Marimbas
Steve Reich, Mallet Quartet
Maurizio Azzan, Of Debris and Dust
Iannis Xenakis, Psappha 
Julia Wolfe, Dark Full Ride

Thauma Ensemble
Fabio Macchia, Pierangelo Pellegrino, Simone Giuseffi, Alessio Cavaliere percussion

Oberdrums takes its title from Friedrich Nietzsche’s idea of Oberfläche. For Nietzsche, the surface is neither mere appearance nor superficiality; it is the place in which form makes depth perceptible. In the world of percussion, music is born from contact with a surface: the skin of the drum, the wood of the marimba, the metal of the vibraphone. The percussionist’s gesture does not dig into a hidden depth, but strikes a surface that vibrates and sets in motion the sonic space. From this encounter between gesture and matter emerges resonance, which expands in space and constructs musical depth.
The programme presented by the quartet explores various languages of contemporary music, with a repertoire that spans minimalism, timbral research and musical theatre.

In Gérard Grisey’s Stèle, resonance expands into space, transforming the timbral surface of sound into a luminous and changing field.

In Steve Reich’s minimalist processes, such as Mallet Quartet and Nagoya Marimbas, seemingly simple rhythmic patterns generate micro-transformations in perception; new figures emerge from the intertwining of pulsations, like reflections emerging on the surface of musical time.

Composed by Iannis Xenakis, Psappha is a milestone in twentieth-century music that transforms mathematical rigour into a visceral sonic experience. The poet Sappho’s metrics provide the rhythmic patterns stripped of melody, in favour of an all-encompassing acoustic impact, free from fixed staves and timbres: the performer strikes six independent groups of instruments made up of skins, wood and metal. Time becomes a two-dimensional geometric space in which the notes sketch peaks of extreme density alternating with voids of silence, transforming the music into a solid and tangible topography in perpetual change.

Of Debris and Dust is a piece by Maurizio Azzan for metal objects and electronics set in an Earth orbit cluttered with space debris. Two sonic mists, one produced by electronics and the other by percussive elements, interact through condensations, rarefactions and sudden collisions that draw a boundless space. The search for balance between the imaginary environmental context and the material reality of the chosen objects (a star-shaped aluminium heat sink, five steel reinforcing bars and a polystyrene box) led Azzan to alternate finely notated sections with semi-improvised ones. The instrumental apparatus is played with various sticks and friction techniques; real-time electronics sculpt ephemeral musical figures, while amplification generates multiple listening planes alongside a stereo track with which the soloist must synchronise. The work thus gives life to a constantly evolving soundscape that invites the listener to explore a complex and evocative reality.

Julia Wolfe’s work, Dark Full Ride, closes the concert. In this composition, the energy of the percussion itself takes centre stage, making the sound material vibrate with an almost physical force.

Oberdrums thus imagines rhythm as a living surface, a place of contact between gesture, material and perception in which musical depth does not hide behind sound, but emerges directly from its vibration onto the surface.
 
The percussion ensemble, in this new composition, which showcases talented young musicians, allows for a wide variety of sounds, from mallet instruments (marimba and vibraphone) to skins (toms, bass drum and other percussion), to moments of musical theatre, offering audiences a dynamic and engaging sound experience.

Oberdrums is a new musical production by the LOXOSconcept association, in collaboration with Keyhole, created with the support of the Ministry of Culture and SIAE as part of the “Per Chi Crea” programme.

Thauma Ensemble - The Thauma Ensemble project grew out of the experience and evolution of the Thauma Trio, a group founded in 2016 by percussionist Fabio Macchia, Giulio Cintoni and Simone Buttà. While the trio represents the original nucleus, dedicated to the exploration of twentieth-century percussion repertoire and new creations, over time the project has expanded, spawning a new branch dedicated to contemporary music in a broader sense, involving quartets and various instrumental ensembles that extend beyond the exclusive world of percussion. The objective remains to explore the wonder of Thauma — “awe-inspiring amazement, wonder” — through a constantly evolving musical language, able to intertwine instruments, electronics, voice and new performative languages.
The Thauma Trio, the foundation and beating heart of the project, continues its own activity performing the original repertoire for percussion, from chamber music to electronic music, to musical theatre performances. Key composers include John Cage, Steve Reich, Iannis Xenakis, Giorgio Battistelli, Giuseppe Colangelo, Salvatore Sciarrino, Michelangelo Lupone and many others.
Over the years, the group has collaborated with numerous internationally renowned artists and ensembles, including Patrick Gallois, Luigi Zilberstein, ArsLudi Ensemble, Stefano Bollani, Ennio Morricone, Freo Ensemble, PMC, Nicola Piovani, Luigi Piovano, Chigiana Percussion Ensemble, David Krakauer, Alessandro Carbonara, Giuseppe Ettorre, David Geringas, Maurizio Giammarco, Maurizio Sigurtà, Giovanni Falzone and Roberto Spadoni. The Thauma project has performed at major chamber music festivals such as the Ravello Festival, the Chigiana International Festival (SI), JAP MAXXI (Museo di Arte Contemporanea di Roma), Tempo Reale (Centro Studi Musicali “Luciano Berio”) and the MAIN – Matera Intermedia Festival, as well as in prestigious theatres and auditoriums including the Teatro Auditorium Roma Tre Orchestra, Teatro Tor Bella Monaca, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Auditorium Università di Tor Vergata, Auditorium di Matera, Auditorium Villa Strozzi, Teatro Manzoni di Latina, Auditorium di Latina, Auditorium di Frosinone, Teatro M. Ventre, Teatro Verdi di Padova, Rettorato di Siena, Auditorium Val delle Rose and many others.

Fabio Macchia graduated with honours from the Conservatorio di Musica di Frosinone "Licino Refice", having previously obtained a Diploma in Percussion (old system) from the Conservatorio di Potenza "Gesualdo da Venosa" under the Maestros Nunzio Pietrocola, Carlo Di Blasi and Antonio Caggiano.
Through these two study paths, he gained experience in and consolidated various fields, such as contemporary, orchestral and experimental music. At the same time, he attended masterclasses and courses led by renowned Maestros of the musical scene including Andrea Santarsiere (Accademia Santa Cecilia di Roma), Edoardo Giachino (Accademia Santa Cecilia di Roma), Antonio Catone (timpanist, Accademia Santa Cecilia di Roma), Peter Sadlo (timpanist at the Munich Philharmonic and internationally acclaimed soloist), Rocco Luigi Bitonto (Orchestra del Teatro Opera di Roma), Gregory Lecouer (timpanist at the Maggio Fiorentino theatre), Gert Francois (timpanist and soloist of the Orchestra della radio Francese) and many others.
He is currently expanding his knowledge of jazz and big band by taking courses with Maestro Claudio Mastracci at the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome.
In the years 2010–2017 he participated in various open calls: EYU (reserve), WYO Roma (second place 2015 and third place in 2017), OGI (qualified 2010 and 2011), Theater Münster (qualified for the 2015 season).
He has an active concert schedule, both orchestral and solo, having played with numerous Italian and foreign orchestras. Of particular note are the year-long experience with the Theater Münster Orchestra (North Rhine-Westphalia), two tours with the Orchestra Philarmonica Italiana and the collaborations with Accademia Chigiana, Orchestra della Toscana, Fondazione Accademia Ducale, and Accademia Santa Cecilia di Roma.
He collaborates with several ensembles including Freon Ensemble, P.M.C.E. (Parco della Musica Contemporanea Ensemble), Ars Ludi Ensemble, and Roma Sinfonietta Ensemble. From 2015 to 2017 he was a member of the Chigiana Percussion Ensemble, participating in the 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/2018 seasons of the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. In 2017 founded the Thauma Trio, with which he performs concerts throughout Italy.
He has performed in prestigious theatres and concert halls: Teatro Italia (Roma), Teatro Palladium (Roma), Aula Magna Università "La Sapienza" (Roma), Auditorium Tor Vergata (Roma), Teatro Mariele Ventre (Sasso di Castalda), Teatro Francesco Stabile (Potenza), Auditorium Matera, Casa Cava (Matera), Museo MAXXI (Roma), Teatro Argentina (Roma), Auditorium della Conciliazione (Roma), Auditorium Parco della Musica (Roma), Teatro D'Annunzio (Latina), Teatro Moderno (Latina), Auditorium del Parco (L'Aquila), Ridotto del Teatro Comunale (L'Aquila), Teatro San Carlo (Napoli), Concert Hall – Shanghai Cultural Square (Shanghai), Jiangyin Grand Theatre, Wuxi Poly Theatre, Jiangsu Grand Theatre(Nanjing), and others.
He has participated in major festivals including Nuova Consonanza (Rome), Ravello Festival, Chigiana International Festival (Siena), Ravenna Festival, Main Festival, Moderna Festival, Arti Contemporanee, and others.
He has worked with numerous artists of the calibre of Antonio Caggiano, Patrick Galloise, Lilya Zilberstein, Gabriele Mirabassi, Marco Pezzenati, Enzo Decaro, Giovanni Imparato, Marco Sannini, Tonino Battista, Daniele Sepe, Peter Sadlo, Javier Girotto, Massimo Bartoletti, Paolo Russo, Jonathan Williams, Nicola Piovani, Gabriele Baldocci, Fabrizio Ventura, Alfonso Scarano, Ovidiu Balan, Franco Sciannameo, Joe Barbieri, Helge Sween, Giulio Martino, Daniel Rivera, Luigi Piovano, Giulio Colangelo, Maurizio Azzan, Marta Gentilucci, Cesare Saldicco, Sarah Netmvos, Stilyanos Dimou, Letizia Gorga, Sergio Bustrik, D. Krakauer, Alessandro Carbonara, G. Ettorre, D. Geridas, Carlo Angione, Lucia Majastorovic and many others.
In recent years, he has dedicated himself to experimental solo music, performing works in national and world premieres, leading to the recording of a solo album with the renowned Milan music label Stradivarius (scheduled for release in 2025).
He is currently a tenured lecturer at the Istituto Comprensivo "Torraca-Bonaventura" in Potenza. He has also taught at the Conservatorio di Potenza (50 hours) and at the Officina Musicale 52, affiliated with the Conservatories of Nocera Terinese and Vallo della Lucania (pre-accademic and academic courses).

Pierangelo Pellegrino began studying music at a very young age and, in 2017, obtained a diploma in percussion instruments with top marks and honours from the Conservatorio di Musica "C.G. da Venosa" in Potenza. During his years of study, he turned his attention primarily to classical and orchestral percussion, while also collaborating as a drummer in various musical contexts.
In 2010 he participated in the "R. Ponselle" competition in Matera, where he won first prize in the chamber music category as part of an ensemble. In 2018 was awarded overall first prize in the soloist category at the international competition organised by the C.I.M. in Sannicandro di Bari.
He has participated in masterclasses and seminars on percussion, coming into contact with illustrious musicians such as Guido Facchin, Andrea Santarsiere, Rocco Bitondo, and Renaud Muzzolini. He has also participated as a timpanist and percussionist in various orchestral conducting masterclasses led by maestros such as Alejo Perez, Pietro Rizzo, Donato Renzetti, Gianluigi Gelmetti, and Jacob De Haan.
In 2016, he qualified for the youth orchestra of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, taking part in, among others, the concert for the sixtieth anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, held at the Palazzo Montecitorio and broadcast live on RAI.
In 2018, he passed the audition for freelance musicians for the orchestra of Teatro San Carlo in Napoli and qualified in the public audition for the Banda Musicale dell'Esercito Italiano (Italian Army Music Band). In 2019, he qualified for the orchestra of the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari and in 2023, for the orchestra of the Fondazione Arena di Verona.
He currently collaborates with various orchestras and opera houses: Orchestra del Teatro San Carlo, Orchestra dell'Opera di Roma, Orchestra della Fondazione Arena di Verona, Orchestra del Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, Orchestra ICO della Magna Grecia, Orchestra Metropolitana di Bari, Orchestra Filarmonica di Benevento, and Orchestra della Provincia di Matera. He has also collaborated with a brass and percussion ensemble from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
Through these different collaborations, he has come into contact with world-famous maestros such as Antonio Pappano, James Conlon, Juraj Valcuha, Renato Palumbo, Michael Güttler, Bojan Sudjic, Francesco Ivan Ciampa, Dejan Savic, Carlo Goldstein, Stefan Anton Rech, Giampaolo Bisanti, Daniele Berardinelli, and Nicola Piovani.

Simone Giuseffi began his musical studies at a young age and in 2024, obtained his academic diploma honours and special mention from the Conservatorio "Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa" in Potenza.
At the same time, he attended masterclasses and advanced courses under the guidance of Maestros Ignacio Ceballos Martin (timpanist at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome), Rocco Bitondo (Teatro dell'Opera in Roma), Andrea Santarsiere (Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia), Wieland Welzel (timpanist at the Berlin Philharmonic) and Matthew Lau. He is currently refining his skills in both solo and orchestral performance under the guidance of Maestro Giuseppe Zeverino.
In 2022, he was selected as percussionist for the Magna Grecia Youth Orchestra. In that same year, he began his orchestral career as a timpanist with the Orchestra Sinfonica della Basilicata. In 2024, he passed the auditions for the "I Pomeriggi Musicali" orchestra in Milan and the Orchestra della Magna Grecia in Taranto, with whom he collaborated in subsequent years. At the same time, he participated in the production of “Madama Butterfly” at the Teatro dell'Opera in Tirana. Additionally, in 2026, he collaborated with the Orchestra del Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari and with the Accademia Ducale ensemble. He participated as a percussionist on the recording of the album “Bagliori di quiete/Terezín” by Nicola Hanslik Samale. Alongside his concert career, he has taught at private academies and currently holds a tenured teaching position at the "Don Milani – Leopardi" Comprehensive Institute in Potenza.

Alessio Cavaliere _A musician and percussionist trained at the Conservatorio "Santa Cecilia" in Rome, where on 28th February 2020, he obtained his First Level Academic Diploma in Percussion Instruments with top marks (110 points summa cum laude). On 17th March 2022 he earned his Second Level Academic Diploma at the same institution, once again with first-class honours and an honourable mention.
He is currently continuing his education in Second Level Academic Diploma in Chamber Music at the "Santa Cecilia" Conservatory and a Master’s Degree in Musicology at the "La Sapienza" University in Rome.
Throughout his career he has collaborated with numerous musical institutions and foundations: Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti (IUC) of La Sapienza, Nuova Consonanza, Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Ravenna Festival, Tempo Reale, Jeans Music Festival, Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia in Tallinn (Estonia), Castelbuono Classica, and the Festival ArteScienza.
As an orchestral percussionist he has played with Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese, Orchestra 131 della Basilicata, Orchestra Roma Sinfonica, Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta, Orchestra dei Conservatori della Toscana, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, and the Siena Jazz University Orchestra.
He is a member of the Orchestra Giovanile Fontane di Roma, with which he has performed in numerous concerts in Italia, including in the Vascello and Ghione theatres in Rome, and abroad, with notable tours in Dubai and Vienna in the winter of 2024.
He collaborates with ensembles specialising in contemporary repertoires such as ContempoArte Ensemble, Ars Ludi, Chigiana Percussion Ensemble, Parco della Musica Contemporanea Ensemble, and Icarus vs Muzak. He also pursues original chamber music projects; he is a member of the percussion quartet, Blow Up Percussion, and Quartetto Qubit (two pianos and two percussion instruments).
In 2025 he launched two new projects, “Le réveil profonde”, a trio composed of harp, double bass and percussion, and Duo Argumenta, formed following the Italian premiere of Argumenta by Philippe Manoury, at the Chigiana International Festival 2025.
He has received numerous awards, including second prize at the 13th Marimba and Percussion Gold Competition in 2022, first prize at the Terra di Severino competition in 2022 in Roccasecca (soloist category), and joint first prize at the Concorso di Interpretazione di Musica Contemporanea 2022 at the Reate Festival. He also successfully passed the audition for the Orchestra 131 della Basilicata.