Canto Ostinato at Cal Performances

Canto Ostinato

Sandbox Percussion and AMOC* members Matthew Aucoin and Conor Hanick

Lincoln Center, NYC

June 25, 2025

Photo: Lawrence Sumulong, courtesy of Cal Performances

A great work and a glorious performance: Simeon ten Holt's Canto Ostinato at Cal Performances. Billed as a production of Sandbox Percussion and AMOC* (American Modern Opera Company), it was the four Sandbox percussionists, Matthew Aucoin, and Conor Hanick. They were magnificent.

If you want to hear this work, there are performances on YouTube with various instrumental combos. On April 3, there will be an LP release of the work that includes Sandbox Percussion. This might persuade me to finally set up my turntable.

• Lisa Hirsch, SFCV and SF Chronicle
• Joshua Kosman, On a Pacific Aisle. He's got more analysis of what's going on technically in Canto Ostinato. I meant to say something about how very Spanish the work sounded at various points, but, well, intentions.

Sandbox Percussion

Photo: Tom Emerson, courtesy of Cal Performances

(This photo is from a performance of Andy Akiho's Seven Pillars, which Sandbox performed last year at PIVOT.)