NCPA launches Percussion Music Festival

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In Beijing, the National Center for the Performing Arts has begun to present a series of five top-level concerts by gathering some of the world's best percussionists in its fifth Percussion Music Festival.

The opening concert was conducted by Lyu Jia. /CGTN Photo

For the opening night of the NCPA Percussion Music Festival, all tracks on the concert were chosen from tracks produced in the 20th century. Among them was Stravinsky's 1910 classic, "The Firebird", a 1990s composition from American musician Joseph Schwantner and a highly acclaimed Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra.

Led by maestro Lyu Jia, the NCPA Orchestra presented a superb collaboration with Li Biao, a prominent percussionist on the international stage.

The opening percussion music concert is staged in the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. /CGTN Photo

“Percussion music differs from the sounds of all other instruments. Its variety and range are simply amazing. At a percussion music concert, you will see several scores of different instruments on stage,” said Li Biao.

“Each and every one of them has a distinctive sound. So a good percussionist is like a collector of sounds,” he added.

The opening night will be followed by another four concerts from this Tuesday to Saturday. Among the musicians are leading soloists and ensembles in percussion music.

“An eclectic taste is essential for the appreciation of percussion music. At a percussion concert, listeners will encounter many unfamiliar but very exciting sounds. These sounds produce a harmony of their own,” Li also shared his insight about how to appreciate percussion music.

Li Biao is acclaimed as the foremost percussionist in Asia. /CGTN Photo

A special show on Thursday will be dedicated to indigenous Chinese sounds. The resounding yet sensitive rendition on Friday night greatly tickled the fancies of Beijing's concert-goers.

“I come from Dali, Yunnan province. In my hometown, our musical tradition has very notable percussion elements,” said a woman, who's surname is Li. “Now I can listen to a concerto from America. It's a delightful experience. I've been looking forward to it for a long time.”

The opening percussion music concert is staged in the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. /CGTN Photo

This year's theme of Summertime Rhapsody ushers the NCPA Percussion Music Festival into its fifth season. The Festival has been held in August every two years since 2010. Regarded as a showcase of the world's best percussion music, the event has become a fixture in Beijing's late summer music scene.

(Cover: Li Biao is the foremost percussionist in Asia. /CGTN photo)