Katana

Item details

• Description +

  • I was invited to perform a percussion piece with my colleague for the grand ceremony marking the gala opening of a major Japanese company’s logistics center in Frankfurt, Germany. The piece was specifically composed to accompany two Japanese swordsmen in a dramatic fight during the ceremony. With a tight schedule and no existing piece that suited this need, I decided to write a duo piece myself.
    
    It’s fascinating how some pieces take days, months, or even years to compose, while others come together almost instantly and outshine those that take more time. Katana was one of those pieces. Normally, I compose my music in a percussion room, surrounded by various percussion instruments. However, for Katana, I had only two hours on a Sunday afternoon in my apartment to write it. While tapping on the table, I incorporated compositional motives typical of Japanese drumming. I was pleased with what I had written, but the piece truly came to life the next day at the first rehearsal—it sounded even better than I had anticipated.
    
    At the ceremony, the audience was fascinated by the performance, and since then, it has been performed at numerous events. It’s incredibly fun to play. Technically, it demands speed, particularly with the fast 32nd notes, but there’s also plenty of freedom, especially during the solo sections.

• Instrumentation +

  • Percussion Duo
    
    2 Bongos (shared with both players)
    4 Tom-Toms (1, 2, 3, 4 – from low to high)
    1 Gran Cassa (shared with both players)
    2 Glissando Gongs + 2 Percussion Tables

• About the composer +

  • Žiga Petrič (b. 1994) is a percussionist, educator, composer, and music producer from Velenje, Slovenia. He studied percussion performance at the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana, where he was mentored by Boris Šurbek and Simon Klavžar. During his studies, he also worked with Daniel Berg, Anders Åstrand, and Fridrik Duvling at Örebro University in Sweden. He graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in classical percussion in 2019.
    
    Primarily a percussion teacher, he is passionate about music education and sharing his expertise with young musicians. He began composing classical music as a personal project, focusing on percussion repertoire. His first composition, The Dance of Polyrhythms (2019), was performed as part of his master’s recital, where it was met with high acclaim. The piece was later selected as one of the works for the state percussion competition, TEMSIG, in the following year.
    
    Over time, his works—many dedicated to his students—gained recognition and have been performed at various concerts and music competitions. Encouraged by the positive reception of his compositions, he continues to expand his catalog, which now includes chamber music alongside solo percussion pieces.

• Credits +

  • 
    With support from Koda’s Cultural Funds
    Front Cover graphics and layout: Nicola Lee
    Photo: Janja Nagode
    Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
    Copyright © Edition SVITZER
    www.editionsvitzer.com

Related publications

Seven in the Zone

The Dance of Polyrhythms