Ensemble Bash

Formed in 1992, the British percussion quartet Ensemblebash has forged a reputation as one of the world’s most innovative and groundbreaking chamber ensembles. Using the music of West Africa as both core repertoire and a guiding spiritual influence, Ensemblebash mixes contemporary classical, jazz and music theatre into unforgettable performances.

Since its inception ensemblebash has been dedicated to commissioning new repertoire for percussion ensemble, and has developed special relationships with composers including Graham Fitkin, Stephen Montague, Nick Hayes, Howard Skempton and Stewart Copeland. Ensemblebash has also premiered work by Tan Dun, Keith Tippett, David Bedford, Nitin Sawhney, Orphy Robinson, Michael Daugherty, John Woolrich, Anne Dudley and Steve Reich.

Ensemblebash has toured the UK and Europe extensively, including regular appearances at the Southbank Centre and BBC Proms, most recently in 2012 with Eric Whitacre and Imogen Heap. Four major tours of Italy included in 2003, a performance for the Primo Maggio concert in Rome to an audience of more than 500,000. Further afield Ensemblebash has performed throughout Ghana, at the Melbourne and Sydney

International Festivals, and in Hong Kong, to mark the handover of the colony to the Chinese in 1997. Famed for its extensive collaborations, Ensemblebash regularly appears in concert with artists including Joanna Macgregor, Chick Corea, Django Bates, Nana Vasconcelos, Evelyn Glennie, The Hilliard Ensemble, The National Dance Company of Ghana and The Pan African Orchestra.

Since the release of its debut album Launch on Sony Classical in 1994, Ensemblebash has been regularly broadcast around the world. Recordings include Fiddlesticks with violinist Madeleine Mitchell on Signum Classics; Neural Circuits, the music of Nitin Sawhney, with Joanna MacGregor and the Britten Sinfonia on SoundCircus; and the GRAMMY nominated Orchestralli with drumming legend Stewart Copeland on Ponderosa.

Renowned for its workshops and family concerts, Ensemblebash’s pioneering education work has included extensive residencies for Dartington International Summer School, SPNM’s Sound Inventors, Spitalfields Festival and the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, Australia.

Ensemblebash is Chris Brannick, Joby Burgess, Stephen Hiscock and Genevieve Wilkins. 

Ensemblebash would like to thank the RVW Trust, PRS for Music Foundation, Arts Council of England and Bell Percussion for their continuing support. Joby Burgess thanks Adams, Grover Pro Percussion, Meinl, Remo, Sabian, Mike Balter, Vater, Drum Workshop and Protection Racket.