04.11.2026 SNR Walton Program Notes

ABOUT THE ARTIST Abigail Walton, Percussionist

Abigail Walton (b. 2003) is an active percussionist based in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Beginning her studies on piano at a young age, she later felt drawn towards the dynamic energy of percussion. Inclined towards keyboard percussion, she won first place in the collegiate division of Penn State University’s 2025 Marimba Festival and attended the inaugural 2025 Nashville Marimba Sessions. She has also found recent competition success with Nathan Daughtrey’s Concerto for Vibraphone, performing the work with the West Chester University (WCU) Wind Symphony, WCU Percussion Ensemble, and WCU Symphony Orchestra. Her next scheduled performance of the work will be with the Newark Symphony Orchestra in May 2026. Outside of WCU, she can occasionally be spotted in the local community with groups such as the Chester County Pops Orchestra and Philadelphia Youth Orchestra.

Passionate about education and pedagogy, Abby teaches at Mosaic Music Lessons (Phoenixville, PA) and WCU’s Community Music Program. She enjoys successfully preparing students of all ages and abilities for their musical goals, ranging from school talent shows to collegiate auditions. She also loves research and outreach, seen through her clinics and lightning talks (Battlefield High School (Haymarket, VA), Sun Valley High School (Aston, PA), “Percussion at Penn State” 2026 Festival and Conference (State College, PA), WCU 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (West Chester, PA)). She adjudicated the “Percussion at Penn State” 2026 Marimba Competition alongside notable percussionists such as Sandbox Percussion and Dr. Lee Hinkle. Her research interests include historically informed performance practice, gesture and movement in instrumental performance, and feminist musicology.

Abby will graduate with a BM Instrumental Performance in May 2026 from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where she presently studies with Dr. Ralph Sorrentino and Professor Chandler Beaugrand. Following graduation, she will continue her education at McGill University in Montréal, QC, pursuing an MM with Thesis in Orchestral Instruments - Percussion. Her professional goals include solo and chamber performance, nonprofit work, post-secondary pedagogy, and scholarly publication. When not making music, she loves reading, long walks with her dog and family, and a good cup of iced coffee.

FEATURED PERFORMERS Benjamin Andrews, Percussionist Benjamin I. Andrews is a drummer, percussionist, and educator based in Wilmington, Delaware.

He started playing drums at age 10, and has since played in chamber groups and bands around the world. He's performed with award-winning artists such as Chubby Checker, Matt Maher, Rebecca St. James, Michael Burritt, Chris Deviney, and others. He's won multiple concerto competitions, including the National Collegiate Solo Competition hosted by the United States Army Band. Ben has served as principal percussionist and principal timpanist with the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra and was a member of the percussion section of The Jackson Symphony in Jackson, Tennessee.

Ben’s love for the unusual has led to some unique one-of-a-kind experiences, including filming an Amazon Alexa commercial with mega-influencer Zach King. Ben has had the opportunity to study with some of the world's greatest percussionists and drum set artists, including Valerie Naranjo (SNL house band, Lion King on Broadway), George "Butch" Ballard (Duke Ellington, Count Basie), and others.

Alexander Fry, Percussionist Alex Fry is currently in his third year at West Chester University pursuing a BM in Music Education. He is from North Huntingdon, PA and a graduate of Norwin High School where he participated in several curricular, extracurricular, and honors ensembles. He has performed at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, is a recipient of the John Phillip Sousa Band Award, and currently holds positions as a private lesson teacher and marching band instructor. Alex is extremely passionate about music education and is greatly looking forward to his career and impacting the lives of his future students. Additionally, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and has recently found a passion for learning American Sign Language and socializing within the Deaf community.

Dr. Ralph Sorrentino, Percussionist Ralph Sorrentino is the Director of Percussion Studies at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches applied percussion and directs the West Chester University Percussion Ensemble. Sorrentino has served as Principal Percussionist of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra since 2011, and as Section Percussionist with the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra since 2008. Sorrentino’s work with Opera Philadelphia includes critically acclaimed performances at Philadelphia’s historic Academy of Music, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and Harlem’s world-famous Apollo Theater. Sorrentino has performed as a substitute percussionist with The Philadelphia Orchestra since 2002, and he has performed as a substitute percussionist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 2011. Sorrentino has also performed with the Russian National Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Philly Pops. Sorrentino’s debut solo percussion album (multiplicity) was released in October 2014, and his second percussion album (LO & BEHOLD) was released in April 2021 by Ravello Records. Sorrentino has performed as a concerto soloist with the Immaculata Symphony, West Chester University Percussion Ensemble, Penn State University Percussion Ensemble, University of Delaware Percussion Ensemble, James Madison University Percussion Ensemble, and Messiah University Percussion Ensemble, and gave the 2003 world premiere performance of composer Robert Maggio’s Songs from the Wood. Sorrentino was named National First Runner-Up at the 1999 MTNA Collegiate Artist Percussion Competition in Los Angeles CA, after winning the state and northeast regional levels of the competition. Sorrentino holds an Ed.D. in Policy, Planning, and Administration from West Chester University, an M.M. in Orchestral Performance from Temple University, and B.M. (Music Performance) and B.S. (Music Education) degrees from West Chester University. His principal teachers include Alan Abel, Angela Zator Nelson, Matthew Strauss, and Chris Hanning. Sorrentino is an artist endorser for Pearl Drums and Adams Musical Instruments, SABIAN cymbals, and Innovative Percussion.

PROGRAM NOTES MUSIQUE DE TABLE (1987) Filmmaker and composer Thierry de Mey blurs the lines between artistic disciplines in Musique de Table (“Table Music”). Called a “ballet for six hands,” the work is as visually intricate as it is musically. Three percussionists sit each with an amplified table and follow notation calling for different taps, swipes, claps, and more. Written roughly in the style of a Baroque suite (including a Fugue, Rondo, etc.), the piece honors both traditional Baroque dancing and historical Tafelmusik with modern wit and humor.

THREE MOVES FOR MARIMBA (1998) Paul Lansky was an early pioneer of electronic and computer music, seen through both his compositions and software engineering. Three Moves for Marimba, written for marimba trailblazer and virtuoso Nancy Zeltsman, is notable as it was among his first acoustic compositions. The work has since gained traction and is now known as a standard masterwork amongst marimba repertoire. Elements from his first interests shine through in the writing while still showcasing the unique capabilities of the instrument. Each movement title (Hop (2), Turn, and Slide) is demonstrated through both musical motif and the performer’s physical movement across the keyboard. After writing Three Moves, Lansky would go on to continue writing for percussion, including popular chamber works Patterns and Threads.

THREE PAINTINGS FOR MARIMBA AND SNARE DRUM (2021) Percussionist Matt Moore wears many hats: educator, composer, and even software engineer. His percussion works take inspiration from his multi-faceted life and are enjoyed by students of all ages and abilities. Three Paintings is no different. Written in three parts, each movement is designed around a different visual art medium: acrylic, watercolor, and digital. The first features bold octaves to match bright, contrasting paint. The second enters a swirling legato marimba melody amidst an impressionist sunset. The final, “Digital,” delineates graphs through rhythm and meter.

ASANGA (1997) Premiered by and written for Robyn Schulkowsky in 1998, Asanga has made its mark within multi-percussion repertoire. With very open-ended instrumentation (The score specifies “Four low drums (including bass drum) and two higher tom-toms, plus two high metal plates or extremely high skins”), each performance is very distinct and individualized. The Sanskrit title translates to “freedom from attachment,” and different musical ideas interject one another_unapologetically.

NO. 18, EL SUEÑO DE LA RAZON PRODUCE MONSTRUOS, FROM “24 CAPRICHOS DE GOYA FOR GUITAR” (1961) In 1799, Francesco Goya published his 80 Los Caprichos, in which he wrestles with the socio-emotional impacts of war, the Enlightenment, religion, and human passion in 18th Century Spain. Capricho 43 in the album and No. 18 in the cycle, “El sueño de la razon produce monstruos,” (“The sleep of reason produces monsters”) may just be the most well-known of Goya’s plates. The etching features an artist asleep, head lying on an inscribed block, while winged creatures torment his dreams. Many scholars believe this to be both Goya’s self-portrait and a commentary on the conflict between creative freedom and rational thinking. It is no wonder that Castelnuovo-Tedesco, who fled Italy just before World War II, would become drawn to the deep meaning and exposed pain expressed through the art over 150 years later for a guitar cycle. He wrote this particular number in a theme-and-variations structure, combining classical phrasing with contemporary expression and harmony. Rich bass tones and warm timbres contribute to the emotional, almost haunting feel of the work, translating beautifully to marimba.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Abby would like to offer her deepest thanks to her mom, dad, brother, and extended family for their love and support through all her endeavors. She owes additional thank-you’s to the WCU Percussion Studio community past and present, the students and teachers at Mosaic Music Lessons, Dr. Onderdonk, and dear friends Benjamin Ernst and Loryn Whistler. Immense appreciation is owed to the featured performers on the program: Benjamin Andrews, Alex Fry, and Dr. Ralph Sorrentino. Finally, she is extremely grateful to all the music teachers who have brought her to this point, especially Dr. Ralph Sorrentino for his unwavering guidance and mentorship.