Industry News — March 2026
Industry News — March 2026
by PAS Staff
March 2, 2026
BLACK SWAMP PERCUSSION
Black Swamp Percussion is excited to announce that submissions are officially open for the 2026 Solo & Ensemble Showcase. This premier digital competition invites high school and college percussionists from across the United States to showcase their talent, compete for world-class instruments, and receive professional feedback.
The Showcase carries a rich history of supporting the next generation of musicians. Originally founded in 2009 by Black Swamp Artist Dan Smithiger, the event has grown from a local initiative into a prestigious national platform, staying true to Smithiger’s original vision of providing students with meaningful performance opportunities and professional critique.
2026 Division Categories
This year’s Showcase features categories tailored to both individual and group excellence:
• High School Ensembles: Open to both Large Sections and Small Groups.
• Solo Snare Drum: Open to both High School and College levels.
• College Multi-Percussion: Designed for collegiate students pushing the boundaries of contemporary percussion.
Expert Feedback from a Distinguished Panel
A hallmark of the Showcase is the commitment to education. Every participating student or ensemble is guaranteed professional feedback from our 2026 panel of expert judges. This year’s adjudicators include:
• Keith Aleo (Interlochen Center for the Arts)
• Jordan Walsh (Austin Community College & Southwestern University)
• Andrew Eldridge (University of Texas at Arlington)
• YoungKyoung Lee (Ball State University)
• Lamon Lawhorn (Virginia State University)
• Shaun Tilburg (Phoenix Symphony / University of Mary)
• Dan Smithiger (Founder & Southern Illinois University Edwardsville)
“No matter where you place, you’re going to walk away a better musician,” says Tim Church of Black Swamp Percussion. Winners will also be featured across Black Swamp’s global social media platforms and awarded world-class Black Swamp instruments as prizes.
Prizes and Recognition
Winners of the 2026 Showcase will be featured across all Black Swamp social media platforms and YouTube channel, receiving national recognition for their artistry. In addition, winners will take home world-class Black Swamp instruments to further their musical journeys.
Submission Deadlines
To participate, students must film their performance and submit via the official portal:
• Ensemble Division Deadline: April 24, 2026
• Solo Division Deadline: May 8, 2026
For more information, official rules, and submission instructions, please visit https://www.blackswamp.com/solo-and-ensemble-showcase
MIPCA (Moliner International Percussion Award)
The Moliner International Percussion Composition Award (MIPCA) announces that the American composer Augusta Read Thomas has been selected as the winner of the first edition of the award.
This international call, open to composers worldwide, received a total of 247 submissions, consisting of recent works written for percussion, reflecting the growing global interest in the development and visibility of this repertoire.
The award, endowed with €1,000, was granted following an evaluation process carried out by the percussionist, composer, and artistic director of the competition, David Moliner, who assessed the works anonymously according to artistic, structural, and technical criteria.
In addition to the main prize, 48 outstanding works were selected. Their composers will receive professional support, international visibility, and promotion opportunities. The selection of a single winner does not diminish the importance of the other awarded works: one of the fundamental aims of MIPCA is to actively promote all selected composers, fostering the dissemination of their music in professional, educational, and artistic contexts worldwide.
The Moliner International Percussion Composition Award was created with the mission of placing percussion—and especially the marimba—at the center of the musical landscape, at the same level of recognition and visibility as instruments such as the piano, violin, or cello. The project seeks to expand the repertoire, encourage new works, and strengthen the presence of percussion in concert halls, institutions, and international circuits.
This vision is closely connected to the artistic career of David Moliner, who has contributed to positioning the marimba on major international stages, performing in leading venues such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Elbphilharmonie, and the Musikverein.
As part of the recognition, Augusta Read Thomas will compose a new percussion concerto for David Moliner. This commission represents a strong commitment to expanding the major solo repertoire for percussion and to fostering a direct artistic dialogue between composers and performers, reinforcing the international projection of the instrument.
David Moliner stated: “Augusta Read Thomas brings extraordinary clarity of vision and expressive depth. Her music opens new artistic paths for percussion and embodies the spirit of this award.”
Augusta said: “Deeply humbled, grateful, and moved to receive The Moliner International Percussion Composition Award. Means the world to me, especially coming from a performer and composer as exceptional as David Moliner. I offer my hearty congratulations to all the other finalists.”
Augusta Read Thomas (b. 1964, New York) is an internationally recognized American composer and Professor of Composition at the University of Chicago. She was the longest-serving composer-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and has created an extensive body of work performed by major orchestras, conductors, and ensembles worldwide. Her music is distinguished by its expressive intensity, rich sonic color, and structural sophistication, and has been acclaimed by both critics and leading artistic institutions. Thomas is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has received numerous prestigious awards and commissions.
David Moliner (b. 1991, Cuenca, Spain) is a percussionist and composer. His music has been performed by orchestras and ensembles such as the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the SWR Vokalensemble, and at the Lucerne Festival, among others. He has appeared as a soloist on major international stages including the Philharmonie Berlin, the Musikverein Vienna, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the Philharmonie de Paris.
