Sandbox Percussion – November 9, 2025

Sunday, November 9, 2025

Sandbox Percussion 

Location: Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex

Time: 3:00 PM

Described as “exhilarating” by The New York Times and “utterly mesmerizing” by The Guardian, the GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion champions living composers through its unwavering dedication to contemporary chamber music. In 2011, Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Ian Rosenbaum, and Terry Sweeney were brought together by their love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together; they have since captivated audiences with performances that are both visually and aurally stunning. In 2024, Sandbox Percussion became the first percussion ensemble to be awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant.

The 2021 album Seven Pillars, featuring Andy Akiho’s title piece, was nominated for two GRAMMY® awards. Following performances throughout the United States and Europe, Sandbox Percussion performs Seven Pillars in October at the Beijing Music Festival. They will also perform the piece at select dates throughout the 2024-25 season.

This season, Sandbox Percussion and the Tyshawn Sorey Trio collaborate on a special Max Roach tribute with live performances that include the 92nd Street Y and the Library of Congress.  Together, the two groups explore the extraordinary legacy of jazz pioneer Max Roach, who was born 100 years ago.

Sandbox Percussion recently teamed up with composer Michael Torke, who created the hourlong piece BLOOM for the group. The world premiere of BLOOM will take place in December at Tishman Auditorium, at The New School, New York City, following the album release in August, via Ecstatic Records.

In October, Sandbox Percussion performs at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art, collaborating with the London-based Gandini Juggling. Over the season, Sandbox Percussion will also perform music by Viet Cuong, Julius Eastman, Gabriel Kahane, Gabriella Smith, Paola Prestini, and Doug Cuomo.

Sandbox Percussion recently recorded percussion music for its first feature film: The Wild Robot (DreamWorks, 2024), an animated science fiction survival film with music by Kris Bowers. The first recording of Lifeline, a vibrant percussion quartet composed by Ellis Ludwig-Leone for Sandbox Percussion, will be released on the album Past Life / Lifeline in December, on Better Company Records. A new album celebrating the group’s long-standing collaboration with Christopher Cerrone will be released in February on PENTATONE Records, including the piece Ode To Joy, co-commissioned by the group in 2023.

Sandbox Percussion holds the positions of ensemble-in-residence and percussion faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and The New School’s College of Performing Arts. Starting in 2024-25, Sandbox Percussion will also be on faculty at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Sandbox Percussion endorses Pearl/Adams musical instruments, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Remo drumheads, and Black Swamp accessories.

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Emlyn Johnson

Emlyn currently serves as Creative Director of Pro Musica. Emlyn’s background as a classically trained flutist, educator, and presenter eventually led her to Missouri, where she taught in the music department at Missouri State University and was the Executive Director for Pro Musica from 2021 – 2023. She is the co-director of the American Wild Ensemble and performs regularly around the state and beyond, and is an adjunct instructor of Flute at UMKC Conservatory in Kansas City, MO. Emlyn holds a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music and holds additional degrees from Eastman and the University of Michigan. She is responsible for creative and artistic aspects of Pro Musica and guides the selection process of concerts, reporting to the Board of Directors

Joani Zibert

Joani serves as the incoming Executive Director of Pro Musica, bringing more than 17 years of executive leadership experience across nonprofit governance, arts education innovation, K-12 and postsecondary education development, public and private funding strategy, legal compliance, and organizational growth. A nationally recognized school founder and non-profit executive, she has secured millions in public and private funding, built high-performing organizations from the ground up, and guided boards through periods of transformation, scale, and long-term sustainability at the local, state, and national levels.

Joani is the founder and former Board President of Doral Academy of Nevada, where she led the creation and expansion of an arts-integrated school system now serving over 5,000 students, transforming community frustration over the loss of arts education into an award-winning model of creative excellence.

Originally from the 4-States area, with Slovenian grandparents, she has worked nationally gaining a professional background that includes serving in varying roles including President of nonprofits, Director of Operations, Director of Law & Policy, Director of Grants, Director of Marketing, and senior executive advisor roles. Joani is known for aligning missions with measurable impact while bridging vision, governance, and execution. Her work is rooted in the belief that the arts are not an accessory to education or community life, but a catalyst for connection, economic vitality, and generational change.

As Executive Director of Pro Musica, Joani brings a bold, forward-focused approach centered on organizational excellence, financial sustainability, expanded community engagement, and the elevation of Pro Musica’s role as a cultural cornerstone. She leads with clarity, courage, and collaboration while committed to honoring Pro Musica’s legacy as we build the next chapter with strength and momentum.