Nexus is a Toronto-based percussion ensemble that performs standard percussion ensemble repertoire, ragtime music, world music, contemporary classical music and as a group, has performed as soloist with some of the top orchestras around the world.
The ensemble was originally made up of percussionists Bob Becker, Bill Cahn, Robin Engelman, Russell Hartenberger, John Wyre and Michael Craden. Founding member Michael Craden died of liver cancer in 1982. John Wyre died in 2006 and was replaced by long-time professional colleague Garry Kvistad. Robin Engelman resigned from the group in December 2009 due to vision difficulties and died on February 26, 2016.
The group formed in 1971 and debuted with a concert of entirely improvised music at the Eastman School of Music. Although the first performance only featured four of the musicians, all six performed together as Nexus shortly after in Walter Hall at the University of Toronto. In the mid-1970s the group recorded two albums with New Age music pioneer Paul Horn: Paul Horn and Nexus (1975) and Altura Do Sol (1976).
Nexus played on the soundtrack of the 1974 film The Man Who Skied Down Everest, and appeared in the 1975 National Film Board movie Musicanada.
In 1982 the group released Nexus and Earle Birney, a triple-album collaboration with noted Canadian poet Earle Birney.
The group recorded an album for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Dance of the Octopus, in 1990 with harpist Judy Loman.
In 1990, Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu wrote a concerto for percussion ensemble and orchestra entitled From me flows what you call Time for the group. Takemitsu was commissioned to compose this piece for Nexus and the Boston Symphony, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Carnegie Hall. Dozens of other composers have written music specifically for Nexus and for individual members of Nexus, and the group's members are also composers and arrangers, writing for Nexus and, on occasion, for others.
In addition to their regular concerts, the group also gives masterclasses and educational performances.
Russell Hartenberger is a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music (Dean, Chair of Graduate Education, and Professor, Percussion). Robin Engelman was also a long-time staff member at the University of Toronto, where he mainly taught and conducted the percussion ensemble and the contemporary music ensemble.
Discography YearTitleLabelNotes1975Paul Horn and NexusEpic/CBS1976Altura Do Sol Epic/CBSLater reissued as The Altitude Of The Sun (Black Sun, 1989)1976Nexus Ragtime Concert UmbrellaLater reissued (Nexus, 1991)1978Music of NexusNexus1981Under the UmbrellaCP1982ChangesNexus1982Nexus & Earle Birney1989The Best of NexusNexus/Denon1990Nexus NowNexus(June 1989)1990Dance of the OctopusCBCWith Judy Loman1991Nexus Plays the Novelty Music of G.H.GreenNexus1992OriginsNexus(August 1991)1992The Story of Percussion in the OrchestraNexus(June 1992)1994VoicesNexus(January 1994)1994The Mother of the BookIRJWith Gil Evans1995Music for Heaven and EarthCBC1995World DiaryPapa BearWith Tony Levin1996Farewell to PhilosophyPOINT Music//Philips/PolyGram(May 1995)1997ToccataNexus(May 1996)1997Nexus meets Peter SadloKoch1997RuneNexus1997World Drum FestivalSyrinx(March 1997)1998Orchestral Music of TakemitsuSony Classical/SME(February 1997)2000Garden of SoundsBISWith Richard Stoltzman (January 1999)2001LullabyNexusWith Leigh Howard Stevens2003DrumTalkerNexus(April 2003)2004RitualsContaining Concert for Violin and Orchestra (October 1998) and Rituals (March 2004) for five percussionists and orchestra.2005Out of the Blue(March 2005)2005Wings(June 2005)2015Persian Songs(August 2015)2021Steve ReichNexuswith Sō Percussion (June 2021)
Solo albums John Wyre: Vagabond Dream (Heron, 1991) Bob Becker: There is a Time (Nexus, 1994) William Cahn: Solo Percussionist Music (Nexus, 1996)
References
External links Official website Nexus in The Canadian Encyclopedia Second article at The Canadian Encyclopedia
Robin Engelman's blog Nexus in the PAS Hall of Fame