Led by Colin Currie ("the world’s finest and most daring percussionist", Spectator), the hand-picked ensemble was formed in 2006 for a performance of Drumming at the BBC Proms to celebrate the 70th birthday of Steve Reich. In the subsequent decade, the Colin Currie Group have performed Drumming around the world. They have expanded their repertoire to include many of Reich’s most popular works, including Music for 18 Musicians, Sextet, Tehillim and Music for Pieces of Wood and are privileged to have frequently had the composer present when rehearsing and performing these works.
A major highlight of recent seasons has been the critically acclaimed world premiere performances of a Steve Reich Traveler’s Prayer, which the Group toured to The Concertgebouw, Royal Festival Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris, Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances and Tokyo Opera City. The Group have previously premiered Steve Reich’s Quartet in 2014 (for two pianos and two vibraphones), dedicated by Reich to Colin Currie. Since the premiere of Quartet at London’s Southbank Centre, the group have given multiple performances of this work, including across the UK, Europe, Asia and America.
In 25/26, the Colin Currie Group will make their Spanish debut at Madrid's Condeduque Cultural Center, before embarking on an exciting series of concerts to celebrate Steve Reich’s 90th birthday across 2026, the details of which will be announced soon. The Group will also debut an exciting new programme at Kings Place, celebrating the music of Steve Martland, who was a mentor and friend of Currie. The programme features revivals of Martland’s band music, bringing onboard some original members of the Steve Martland Band.
The Colin Currie Group has performed at major halls and festivals worldwide including London’s Southbank Centre, Shanghai MISA Festival, Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore, Paris Cité de la Musique, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Cologne Philharmonie, Rotterdam De Doelen, Helsinki Festival, Macau Festival, Saffron Hall, Barbican Centre, Bold Tendencies and the Società del Quartetto di Milano. They made their concertante debut at the 2019 Edinburgh International Festival performing Gubaidulina Glorious Percussion under the baton of Thomas Dausgaard with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Colin Currie Group recently recorded their fourth album on Colin Currie Records, The Sextets. This highly anticipated recording is due for release in Spring 2026 and will mark the first time all of Steve Reich’s sextets have been compiled on one album. The Group’s most successful album to date, Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, released in April 2023, received outstanding reviews and was selected as Editor’s Choice by Gramophone; this followed their previous releases of Live at Fondation Louis Vuitton and the highly successful debut album Drumming in 2018. March 2025 also saw the landmark release of the world premiere recording of Traveler’s Prayer, recorded by the Colin Currie Group at Tokyo Opera City in April 2023 on Nonesuch Records, following their recording of Quartet which also appears on Nonesuch.
2025 - 26 season / 508 words. Not to be altered without permission