Inuksuit Performance Unites Percussionists at PASIC50

In November 2025, more than 150 professional and university-level percussionists gathered at White River State Park in Indianapolis for a free public performance of Inuksuit — a landmark work for outdoor percussion by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Luther Adams. The performance featured Artistic Direction by PAS Hall of Fame member and world-renowned percussionist Steven Schick, as a centerpiece public event of PASIC50.

Inuksuit takes its name from the Inuit word meaning “to act in the capacity of the human” — the stone figures built across centuries in the windswept Arctic. The music is designed to be performed outdoors, with players spread across the landscape and audiences free to move through the sonic environment, discovering new layers of sound from every vantage point.

On a windy November afternoon in Indianapolis, it was a moment of pure community and artistry — percussion at its most expansive.

Special guests for this performance were the Iñu Yupiaq Dance Group from the University of Alaska. The performance was organized by a PASIC volunteer team led by Megan Arns (University of Missouri), with Thad Anderson (University of Central Florida), Omar Carmenates (Furman University), Maria Finkelmeier (Berklee College of Music), Amy Garapic (Dartmouth College), Scott Herring (University of South Carolina), Doug Perkins (University of Michigan), and Bonnie Whiting (University of Washington).

This special performance was made possible with support from Indy Arts Council and the City of Indianapolis.