Percussionist

Rick Sacks received his Masters in Music at the State University of New York at Stony Brook (1976). During his stay at Stony Brook, Rick began freelancing in Manhattan performing with ensembles including The New Orchestra, Newband, The New Jersey Percussion Ensemble and The Composer’s Ensemble under such directors as Arthur Weisberg and Charles Wuorinen. After teaching for two years at Bennington College in Vermont (1979/80), Rick began traveling to Toronto to perform in the art-rock band KLO. The band’s success led to an LP record and Permanent Resident status in 1982. Once settled in Toronto, Rick founded the PhenomeNONsemble which he used as a platform for his unique performance works mixing contemporary music practices with theatre techniques.

Mr. Sacks also composes and creates sound designs for theatre and film. His work in children’s theatre has resulted in continuous performances throughout Europe and the US. In 1986 Mr. Sacks revised and Edited, for COLFRANC Music Publishing Corp., Edgard Varèse’s Hyperprism available through Boosey and Hawkes.

Rick performs with the Canadian Opera Company, on film tracks, in modern dance works and with the contemporary and avant-garde groups Arraymusic, The Glass Orchestra, New Music Concerts, Ensemble Noir, Red Sky, Tapestry New Opera, The Evergreen Club Gamelan, Queen of Puddings and many others. He has toured extensively throughout Africa, Asia and Europe with these groups and has worked with such masters as Pierre Boulez, Henry Brant, George Crumb, Heinz Holliger, Mauricio Kagel, Udo Kasemets, Helmut Lachenmann, Witold Lutoslawski, Terry Riley and James Tenney.