Beating their own drums

"When a percussionist strikes a drum or a cymbal, they transfer energy to the instrument, causing it to vibrate. It is magical," says Bai, adding that the concert will feature contemporary music pieces, displaying the versatility of percussion instruments. "We will offer a mix of solo, ensemble, and experimental performances to keep the audience engaged with different styles and sounds.

"There will be opportunities for audience to participate, such as drumming workshops and interactive performances, making the experience more engaging," Bai adds.

On Aug 29, Bai also led the audience to experience the simplest percussion by letting people clap their hands to beats. With physical activity, the music-making experience is dynamic and engaging.

On Sept 24 and 25, two concerts will be staged featuring music pieces composed or adapted by Liu Heng, principal percussionist of the China NCPA Orchestra, with chamber music ensembles of various sizes. One of the original music pieces composed by Liu is titled Vermilion Bird, for solo marimba, inspired by the mythical creature of heaven in ancient Chinese mythology. Liu will also perform his composition, Face to Face, which is a music piece for two performers. Liu's wife, percussionist Ni Ranran, will join the performance. With percussion instruments, including a standard drum set and bongo drums (a pair of small single-headed Afro-Cuban drums), the music piece portrays the scene when two people meet, argue and compromise.

One of Li's longtime friends, Danish percussionist Gert Mortensen, will join the festival. During the closing concert on Oct 7 at the NCPA, he will perform I Ching (The Book of Changes), a four-movement piece for solo percussion, which, inspired by the classic ancient Chinese book of divination, was written in 1982 by Danish composer Per Norgard.

Other highlights of the percussion festival will be concerts by classical guitarist Yang Xuefei and percussionist Zheng Yu, and China National Peking Opera Company, presenting excerpts from classic Peking Opera that showcase rhythmic percussion instruments, like the bangu (a small drum for beating time) or daluo (big gong). The highly stylized performance art, which is about 200 years old, incorporates singing, acting and martial arts. Percussion instruments are widely used in Peking Opera performances.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn