This Sunday, Rio’s historic Salão Assyrio hosts PERC-RIO, UNIRIO’s award-winning percussion ensemble, in a boundary-pushing concert experience.
On April 12, the Salão Assyrio — the ornate hall at the heart of Rio de Janeiro’s Theatro Municipal — becomes a space for bold sonic experimentation. The featured ensemble is PERC-RIO, the percussion group from UNIRIO, bringing a program that moves fluidly between classical tradition and contemporary avant-garde.
A series built on discovery
The Música no Assyrio series has steadily grown into one of Rio’s most compelling concert showcases. Curated by violinist Suray Soren of the Theatro Municipal Symphony Orchestra, the biweekly program brings together emerging artists and established names in art music, turning the Assyrio into a hub for artistic excellence and innovation.
Percussion as a living language
Founded in 2015 and currently led by professors Paraguassú Abrahão and Ana Letícia Barros, PERC-RIO develops programs that cross between contemporary music, experimental practices, and percussive traditions. The ensemble explores a wide range of materials, gestures, and instrumental configurations, treating percussion not as mere technique but as a full artistic language.
For PERC-RIO, percussion is not just an instrument — it is a living, plural language capable of revealing new dimensions of sound and meaning.
Award-winning consistency
In 2025, the group was awarded 2nd place at the Prêmio Hanns Koch, a prestigious recognition that underscores the depth and originality of their artistic output. The honor places PERC-RIO among Brazil’s most significant voices in contemporary percussion.
Event Info
- Event: Música no Assyrio — PERC-RIO
- Date: Sunday, April 12, 2026
- Time: 11:00 AM
- Venue: Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro — Salão Assyrio
- Address: Praça Floriano, s/nº – Centro, Rio de Janeiro/RJ. Entrance via Boulevard da Av. Treze de Maio
- Tickets: R$50 (full price) and R$25 (half price)
- Sales: At the Theatro box office or online at www.theatromunicipal.rj.gov.br
- Rating: All ages
