1961
That 1961 performance of Carlos Surinach’s Ritmo Jondo marks a specific moment in Neuhaus’s career where he was refining the "virtuoso" persona that would later make him the go-to percussionist for composers like Stockhausen and Boulez.
Performing on the xylophone in this context was no small feat; Ritmo Jondo is notoriously demanding, requiring the percussionists to replicate the intense, sharp transients of flamenco footwork (zapateado).
The Eleventh Workshop: This series at the Manhattan School of Music was the primary laboratory for Paul Price, who is often credited with "inventing" the modern percussion ensemble. Neuhaus was his star pupil.
While Ritmo Jondo is a relatively "traditional" (though rhythmically complex) modern work, 1961 was the exact year Neuhaus graduated with his Bachelor of Music.
The Shift: Immediately following this period, Neuhaus began moving away from ensemble "parts" toward solo percussion realizations, eventually leading to his 1964 world tour where he performed Cage's 27' 10.554" for a Percussionist.