Battle for Drums

Join us as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Circle Percussion, Europe’s oldest taiko performance group. Established in 1973, Circle Percussion, hailing from the Netherlands, presents an unforgettable musical journey blending traditional Japanese taiko sounds with experimental percussion compositions.

Experience the thunderous beats of Circle Percussion’s extensive repertoire during two special concerts in June. Held in Montfoort, these events promise to bring together Japanese residents, performance groups, and enthusiasts of art and music.

Event Programme

June 1, Saturday: 19:00 – 21:30

June 2, Sunday: 14:30 – 17:00

Location: Sint Joseph Zalencentrum Vergaderingsgebouw
Heiliglevenstraat 4, 3417HL MONTFOORT

Ticket: €25

*Check the Circle Percussion website for directions and parking options!

Concert Venue

Experience the magic of Circle Percussion at the Zalencentrum Sint Joseph in Montfoort, a second home of Circle Percussion for decades. The grand Montfoort Hall will welcome more than 200 guests to enjoy an unforgettable evening of rhythm and celebration.

Circle meets their audience

After the concerts, we will invite the audience to the cocktail area for further interaction with the musicians and networking. There will be special Japanese culinary delights served and the members of Circle will join them to have a cosy time together and share a nice evening with their guests.

House of Circle Foundation is organising this special weekend in collaboration with JACCU, the Japanese Arts & Culture Centre of Utrecht Foundation. Together, we aim to preserve and promote Japanese heritage in the Netherlands.

The Weekend Programme

Fundraising Campaign

The concerts are also a kick-off for a fundraising campaign in an effort to restore Circle’s authentic Japanese taiko drums to their former glory.

Today, their foundation ‘House of Circles’ possesses 27 handmade taiko drums. These instruments are in use, approximately 250-300 hours every season, for weekly lessons, concerts, theatre productions and rehearsals of the performance group.

All of these instruments are moderately or severely damaged and require repair or replacement. Since the repair requires the expertise of a professional Japanese drum maker, the foundation needs to send these instruments to Asano Taiko in Japan for repair, or purchase a new drum for the ones that are beyond repair.

Support Circle Percussion’s legacy by contributing to our fundraising campaign. Help us restore our authentic Japanese taiko drums, which have served us for decades and are in need of repair or replacement. Your generosity will ensure that these cultural treasures continue to resonate for generations to come.

Circle Percussion & House of Circles & JACCU

Circle Percussion was founded in 1973 under the leadership of Michael de Roo. At the time it was known as “Circle Ensemble” and they specialised in a variety of percussion instruments. During the early 80’s they encountered the world renowned taiko ensemble Kodō when they teamed up to perform top-class taiko music for the Holland Festival of 1983. Because of this, Circle Percussion became the first Europeans to perform on Japanese taiko outside of Japan, and thanks to the continued guidance of Kodō they started to specialise in playing the taiko drums.

In 1989 Circle Ensemble changed their name to “Circle Percussion” and created the Stichting House of Circles to incorporate all their taiko endeavours. Since then, they have performed across the globe at various large-scale events, have several successful theatre productions to their name, and founded a taiko school to pass on their knowledge in 2008. For the full history, you can read this article.

Stichting Japanese Art & Culture Centre of Utrecht is a cultural house and an art platform, a central hub for gathering, practising, continuous learning, sharing and gaining knowledge and experience. The foundation’s mission is to unite and support the artists, teachers, creators, organisations, initiatives, and other groups representing and nourishing Japanese art and culture in the Netherlands. JACCU and Circle Percussion have organic bonds and a common vision of preserving Japanese heritage in the Netherlands.