Decoda and Ringdown link contemporary and classical-folk songs in ‘Reverberations’ March 31 in Recital Hall
Penn State School of Music students will collaborate with the artists for Aaron Copland’s ‘Appalachian Spring’
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Wednesday, March 4, 2026)—Contemporary chamber music collective Decoda will explore the boundaries of classical and folk genres with special guest vocal duo Ringdown. The program, “Reverberations,” will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, in Recital Hall.
During the concert, Decoda will perform Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” in collaboration with students from the Penn State School of Music, a unit of the College of Arts and Architecture.
After the performance, the artists will speak with interested audience members.
Reserved-seat tickets are $56 for an adult, $19 for those 18 and younger, and $19 for a University Park student. Tickets are available online, by phone at 814-863-0255, or in person, weekdays 10 a.m.– 4 p.m., at Eisenhower Auditorium. Ticket prices are inclusive of fees and taxes. Save $4 per ticket when ordering by phone or in person at the Arts Ticket Center.
Visit Decoda online for more information.
Exploring the link between classical and folk music
Decoda features alumni from Ensemble Connect (artists from Carnegie Hall and The Juilliard School) and is the only affiliate of Carnegie Hall. The group is known for its equal devotion to flawless performance and meaningful audience engagement. And has performed its sometimes-nontraditional works in nontraditional spaces, including prisons and hospitals. The musicians often perform modern composers, renewed versions of classical works and contemporary versions of modern songs.
Portland, Ore.-based Ringdown blends classical roots with contemporary storytelling in its cinematic, electro-pop vocal stylings. The project features singer-songwriter Danni Lee Parpan and Caroline Shaw, a 2013 Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning composer and former member of Roomful of Teeth. Founded in the early 2020s, the partners blend intricate vocal layering with strings, synths and experimental electronic sounds.
“Reverberations” explores the links between inspiration and imagination and the interconnected web of musical influence and features two works by Aaron Copland that aim to reinvent folk material. The program will include:
- Aaron Copland, “Midday Thoughts” for Solo Piano (1944, rev. 1982)
- Hanns Eisler, Septet No. 1, Op. 92a (1940)
- Woody Guthrie/Billy Bragg, “Eisler on the Go “(arr. Claire Bryant) (1949/1998)
- Ringdown (with Decoda), Set of Four Short Works: “Reckoning,” “Run,” “Thirst,” and “I Won’t Go” (2024–25)
- Ringdown, “Every Stone in Cambridge Reminds Me of You” (2024)
- Copland, “Appalachian Spring” suite for 13 instruments (1945/1970), featuring Penn State School of Music students Jimena Herrera (violin), Michael Holtzapple (violin), Alexis Chae (viola) and James de Odília (double bass)
Watch Decoda perform Valerie Coleman’s “Revelry.” Watch Ringdown perform “Reckoning.”
For fans of
Grammy Award-nominated musician and State College native Clara Lyon
Penn State student success
Come-as-you-are cinematic chamber and vocal music
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw
Collaborations between artists and students
Roomful of Teeth and Sō Percussion
Acknowledgments
Support is provided by Nina C. Brown Endowment, Norma and Ralph Condee Chamber Music Endowment, and Pieter and Lida Ouwehand Endowment.
Accessibility services are supported by Sidney and Helen S. Friedman Endowment.
A grant from the University Park Fee Board makes Penn State student prices possible.
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