The article discusses the growing presence of Latin American composers and performers in contemporary percussion keyboard music, highlighting contributions from Brazil, Mexico, and Costa Rica. It emphasizes the cultural significance of the marimba and vibraphone within these traditions, which often view these instruments as “living and breathing.” Gloria Yehilevsky, a London-based composer and vibraphonist, is featured for her international achievements and innovative work, reflecting the blend of tradition and modernity in the field. The article notes the relative underrepresentation of Latin American percussion artists compared to North American and European counterparts.

We all know Keiko Abe’s originals and commissions, the European cannon with Séjourné, Sammut, Åstrand, Glennie, and Gerassimez, and of course the influx of composer-performer repertoire steadily flowing from North America — Vida Chenowith, Leigh Stevens, David Friedman (now in Germany), Gordon Stout, Clair Musser, Patricia Brennan, and Michael Burritt and his former students, to name a few. Yet as this year’s presenters will make clear, the representation dwindles as we begin to consider Latin American composers and performers, with the most household name being Ney Rosauro. Beyond these, although many of us may be aware of the rich Brazilian choro, samba, and candomblé traditions, or Argentine Chacarera or the Mexican marimba ensembles, and Tito Puente’s vibraphone playing, I certainly haven’t heard of Costa Rican traditions being performed on the marimba, and it is rare to see a new program of vibraphone music coming from Brazil (with the exception of Joao Paulo Drummond’s SABIÚ). 

One cultural similarity among these authors is the respect for the marimba as a “living and breathing thing,” described nearly in exactly those words by two PASIC 2026 presenters independently. This points to a relationship these cultures share in how they engage with the instrument and how it is a part of their lives, which may be quite different to those who encountered it in adolescence and later as part of orchestral, contemporary, and marching percussion training.

The following PASIC presenters — Augusto Moralez (Brazil), Roberto Palomeque (Mexico), and Fernando Meza (Costa Rica) — all offer a rich and much-welcome contribution from these less represented cultures to the contemporary keyboard repertoire.