Evolution is a cross-genre, cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural performance. In this collaborative project, international artists come together to create an evocative and visually stunning experience that embodies the essence of evolution and the transformative power of art.
Evolution is the culmination of years of cross-continental collaboration between two percussion power houses: GRAMMY® Award-winning quartet Third Coast Percussion (US) and creative arts incubator Toolbox Percussion (Hong Kong), with new choreography created and performed by award-winning dancer Alice Ma (Hong Kong) . The programme features music by Chinese composer Austin Yip and American composers Jlin and David Skidmore—including Jlin’s Perspective, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Through the artistry of contemporary choreography, percussive rhythms, and innovative staging, Evolution aims to transport audiences into a realm where boundaries dissolve and new possibilities emerge.
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Alice Ma, with her exquisite technique and enthralling stage presence, embodies the spirit of evolution, seamlessly transitioning between states of being, leaving a trail of captivating movements that inspire the audience.
The percussive soundscape provided by Third Coast Percussion and Toolbox Percussion serves as the heartbeat of the programme, with influences ranging from electronic dance music to literature to math rock. The ensembles’ innovative and contemporary approach to percussion infuses the performance with a pulsating energy reflecting the ebb and flow of transformation.
Ultimately the power and the joy of Evolution comes from the fact that this unique and powerful performance experience could only be created by this team of individuals, separated by oceans but brought together by a passion for pushing their artforms into the future.
Third Coast Percussion
With nearly two decades of spellbinding performances to its name, the Chicago-based Third Coast Percussion (Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, and David Skidmore) is the first percussion ensemble to win a GRAMMY® Award. Also nominated for a GRAMMY® as a composer collective, TCP recasts the classical musical experience with a brilliantly varied sonic palette, crafting music to “push percussion in new directions, blurring musical boundaries and beguiling new listeners” (NPR). The ensemble celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025, having blossomed from percussion students who met in 2005 at Northwestern University into a thriving nonprofit organisation. TCP’s 2023 album Between Breaths has been nominated for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance in the 2024 GRAMMY® Awards.
With their eclectic taste and approachable sensibility, TCP has been praised for the “rare power” (The Washington Post) and “inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune) of their tours across the US and four continents. The ensemble’s recordings include 17 feature albums and appearances on 14 additional releases, including its GRAMMY®-winning recording of Steve Reich’s works for percussion. TCP has commissioned and premiered new works from such artists as Augusta Read Thomas, Philip Glass, Missy Mazzoli, David T. Little, Danny Elfman, and Jlin—whose TCP-commission Perspective was a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Connecting with audiences through talks, play-alongs, educational programmes, and mobile apps, TCP has also produced collaborative art alongside engineers, architects and musicians of all genres. They collaborate with numerous Chicago-based civic and cultural institutions, teach thousands of students through educational partnerships, and maintain multi-year collaborations with Chicago-based composers. The quartet also serves as ensemble-in-residence at Denison University in Ohio.
Toolbox Percussion
Toolbox Percussion has been driving percussive arts programming in Hong Kong since 2012, curating ambitious music projects in innovative ways. As a creative incubator, Toolbox Percussion makes new music happen through commissions, collaborations, professional training, recording and touring contemporary performances. Believing in the beautiful concerted efforts of every young talent with whom we are involved, Toolbox Percussion continues to empower the audience to discover versatility in daily soundscapes by anchoring our work closely to the here and now of Hong Kong.
Over the past seasons, Toolbox Percussion toured to Asia Culture Center at Gwangju, South Korea, and made its US debut at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. Other appearances included Shipyard 1862 Theatre in Shanghai, Jockey Club New Arts Power, and active involvement in audience development programmes co-presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong Arts Festival PLUS, and Tai Kwun.
Co-hosted with the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco in 2019, Toolbox Percussion appeared for the first time in the US in an exhibition entitled “A Double Listen”, an ongoing sound-based project followed by a scalable re-run at H Queen’s in June 2021 and a site-specific edition for ArtisTree in August 2022. A sound-based art exhibition, “A DOUBLE LISTEN: Yama no Oto” travelled to the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Summer 2023.
Toolbox Percussion is currently a three-year grantee of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
While HKPAX Full Pass holders can reserve complimentary tickets for International Showcases and Expo Programmes through their online account, our shows are also open to HKPAX Day Pass/Student Pass holders and members of the public via ticket sales. Tickets for these performances are now available at the link below.
- Approximately 60 minutes in duration.
- Free seating.
- You are recommended to arrive 15 minutes before the event starts. No admission for latecomers.
- Programmes are subject to change without prior notice. HKPAX reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the arrangements.
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