VALDOSTA – Britton-René Collins couldn’t resist the rhythm of percussion.

She began piano lessons at the age of 5 but drums caught her ears and eyes by the age of 8. 

“I was curious,” Collins said. “I wanted to get my hands on a pair of drumsticks and experience what it felt like to play the drum set, to create the sounds I loved hearing. I asked my parents for lessons and instantly felt connected to percussion the moment I began to play. 

“Percussion opened up a whole other world to me that I had not accessed before. I felt free, excited to try something new. I still experience this feeling as a percussionist, always discovering new instruments, techniques and interests.”

Audiences can hear and feel that passion this weekend as Collins joins the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra to perform composer Ney Rosauro’s Marimba Concerto No. 1.

The orchestra opens the 2021-22 season with “Reflections.” The concert is scheduled to include the Rosaurto along with Rameau’s “Les Boréades” RCT 31, Act 4, Scene 4: Entrée pour les Muses, Debussy’s “Petite Suite” (arranged by Brakee), Puccini’s Music from “Turandot” (arranged by Boyd), said Howard Hsu, VSO conductor and music director.

Hsu describes Debussy’s suite as being evocative of “various scenes such as a boat gliding across the water,” Puccini’s final works as “explosive music” that “includes his beloved ‘Nessun dorma,’ and Collins as a Concert Artists Guild award-winner who has soloed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for her marimba virtuosity playing the most popular marimba concerto that “explores four-mallet technique.” 

For orchestras, audiences and composers, percussion concertos are relatively new.

“The percussion concerto has only emerged within the past century,” Collins said in an interview with The Valdosta Daily Times. “Unlike instruments such as the violin or piano that have repertoire dating back many centuries, solo classical percussion is a relatively new concept. 

“Thanks to the increase in composers writing for percussion instruments, percussionists can now take on the role of a concerto soloist with a growing collection of repertoire available.”

Audiences can expect interesting sounds and influences from the Marimba Concerto No. 1. Collins said the work is part of Rosauro’s use of percussion performance as a compositional tool to highlight the marimba as a solo instrument.

A native of Rio De Janiero, Rosauro’s concerto is influenced by Brazilian music.  

“This concerto embodies musical storytelling through exploring various characters,” Collins said. “Each movement evokes a different emotion, from playful to earnest.”

Collins is poetic in describing the sound and character of the marimba.

“I think of the marimba as singing wood,” she said. “If trees could sing, I would imagine they sound like a marimba. I find the timbre of the marimba, its texture and warmth, is comparable to that of an organ. It can fill a concert hall with its beauty and resonance.”

Still, as an 8-year-old, Collins discovered percussion on a more traditional drum set, playing rock, jazz and pop music, according to her biography. She said she still plays more traditional drums as well a wide variety of percussion instruments.

“The list of percussion instruments that I play include non-Western and contemporary percussion instruments,” she said, adding her studies continue. “I received my bachelor of music in percussion performance this spring and I am currently pursuing my master of music in percussion performance.” 

She sees a bold future for percussion as a featured orchestral instrument.

“Many orchestras around the world are programming works that feature percussion,” Collins said. “I believe that it is an exciting time for percussionists, as we live in a golden age for commissioning, composing and promoting the expansion of percussion repertoire. 

“It is also an exciting time for orchestras, as opportunities to explore new voices present themselves. Many stories are waiting to get told, and it always feels rewarding to share these stories with audiences.”

Valdosta Symphony Orchestra performs “Reflections,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, Whitehead Auditorium, Valdosta State University Fine Arts Building, corner of Brookwood and Oak. A pre-concert chat is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. More information: Call (229) 333-2150.