Sherman | Petcu duo
Viola and percussion, with Nathan Sherman.
Nathan Sherman (viola) and Alex Petcu (percussion) share a passion for contemporary music, for working with composers and for creating new music. The duo began by performing Luciano Berio's seminal Naturale. Realising how little music existed for viola and percussion, they have since commissioned a wide range of new works, adding substantially to the repertoire.
Their debut album, Totemic (Ergodos), features Naturale, the first piece they played together, alongside three new works commissioned from Ian Wilson, Kate Moore and Benedict Schlepper-Connolly. Their second album, Archetypes (Diatribe), features five more works inspired by Jung's archetypes: pieces by Ann Cleare, Ben Dwyer, Nick Roth and Siobhán Cleary, commissioned with support from the Arts Council of Ireland, and one by Nathan himself.
The duo also commissioned a major work from Kevin Volans, y Escucho a los Muertos con mis Ojos, which they premiered in Music for Galway's 2025/26 season.
Repertoire (so far)
- y Escucho a los Muertos con mis Ojos – Kevin Volans (*)
- Sophia x Bythos – Nick Roth (*)
- Laganton – Ben Dwyer (*)
- gravity dreams iv – Ann Cleare (*)
- Cauldron of Morning – Nathan Sherman
- Naturale – Luciano Berio
- One Thing I Know – Benedict Schlepper-Connolly (*)
- Totemic – Ian Wilson (*)
- Crucible – Kate Moore (*)
- Encuentro – Kevin O'Connell (*)
- Twister – Ed Bennett (*)
- Scheherazade – Siobhán Cleary (*)
- Arboreal – Áine Mallon (*)
- Dialogue – Rebecca Saunders
- Three Taghs – Tigran Mansurian
- Apparitions II – Ian Wilson (**)
(*) Commissioned by the duo
(**) Adapted for the duo