Mantra will be premiering a new commission by American composer Michael Gordon. Gordon\&##39;s new piece, Timber, is an evening-length tour de force. Scored for six graduated wooden Simantras – Greek liturgical percussion instruments used by French composer Iannis Xenakis – the work brings the physicality, endurance and technique of percussion performance to a new level. In this new work, Gordon shapes the music in both polyrhythmic and dynamic waves of textures – often each players\&##39; hands are in separate rhythmic \&##39;worlds\&##39;, each traversing a different dynamic contour from loud to soft to loud. Much of Gordon\&##39;s music demonstrates a deep exploration into the extreme possibilities and stunning nature of rhythm, as well as the enriching, yet disturbing, multidimensionality of polyrhythmic layers – what has been termed in his music to be, "glorious confusion." Many of Gordon\&##39;s works, including Trance, Gotham, Decasia, and his most recent orchestral work, Dystopia, point to Gordon\&##39;s interest in complex rhythmic and textural territory. Gordon\&##39;s percussion sextet takes these elements and explores the extreme possibilities of rhythm and texture to a beautifully intense degree. The new evening-length work is indeed a unique and exciting addition to the world of percussion.