The Taipei International Percussion Convention (台北國際打擊樂節) takes place once every three years. It was first organized by Ju Percussion Group (朱宗慶打擊樂團) in 1993 and has gradually grown in importance as a major event for percussion musicians. This year, a number of the form’s seminal figures have been invited to perform at the convention, which will include performances from Sunday until June 1 in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as forums by visiting maestros on various aspects of percussion performance.
The convention will open Sunday with Ju Percussion Group performing a program of recently commissioned works including Zhong Kui Marrying His Sister Off (媚影), by Taiwanese composer Liu Yu-yun (劉昱昀), which premiered at the group’s 2008 new season concert Percussion and Friends (打擊樂與他的好朋友們). Although Ju generally operates within a Western classical music tradition, this new work includes not just traditional Chinese percussion instruments, but also stringed instruments that are played as percussion instruments by tapping or slapping. Group founder Ju Tzong-Ching (朱宗慶) said that while the phrase “combining East and West, modern and traditional” are now very much in vogue, Ju Percussion Group was already trying to realize these ideals when it was first founded 26 years ago. Another work, Celebration With Drums and Cymbals (鑼鼓慶) features a lion dance theme, and group members are expected to get involved in the theatrical aspects of the show.
The presence of such groups as Les Percussions de Strasbourg, the first all-percussion orchestra, and Keiko Abe, the first person to play the marimba using six mallets, give the show historical perspective. Other groups are relative unknowns, which is not surprising, given the rapid development of percussion music over the past half-century.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JU PERCUSSION GROUP
“These days, a new group or style can emerge overnight by featuring in some competition. In the past, to gain that kind of exposure took decades,” Ju said. “Most of these groups are not known to Taiwan audiences, because the change has been too rapid.”
The cross-cultural and trans-disciplinary currents that Ju praises are in full evidence at the convention. There is Odaiko Percussion Group from Spain, which takes its name from a Japanese drumming tradition and mixes it with jazz, flamenco and Indian tribal music; Percossa from the Netherlands, which brings a wealth of street performance experience to its dynamic show, a mix of percussion and physical theater; and the academically rooted experimental music from Steven Schick, the leader of Red Fish Blue Fish, who work closely with contemporary classical composers. For a full rundown of all the performers, see the festival’s Web site at www.jpg.org.tw/TIPC2008.
Taipei Times staff reporter Ian Bartholomew spoke with Ju Tzong-Ching (朱宗慶), founder of the Ju Percussion Group (朱宗慶打擊樂團), earlier this week.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JU PERCUSSION GROUP
Taipei Times: How is it that percussion music has developed from an auxiliary role to a main role in musical performance?
Ju Tzong-Ching : Any orchestra, when it has achieved a certain level, needs to develop in specific disciplines, whether it is strings, wind, keyboard or what have you. In 1931, the first composition specifically for percussion appeared ... . In the past, percussion had always played a supporting role [in classical music]. At that time, people began to realize that percussion had enormous potential and other works for percussion began to appear. Forty-six years ago, Les Percussions de Strasbourg was formed — they were the first percussion orchestra.
TT: How has percussion music changed over the last 50 years?
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JU PERCUSSION GROUP
JT: It has greatly extended the sources of its inspiration. Sources of material for new compositions have increased enormously. In the past it was just wood, metal, leather, ... now musicians draw from all sorts of materials that they find around them. This is an enormous breakthrough. There has also been a lot of development in traditional percussion materials. For example, a layer of paper or a metal sheet might be fused with leather to create an exciting new sound. More recently, a new development has been the popularity of world music, so people are using Indian or Chinese music and incorporating it into their compositions. A further stage in this development can be seen in this year’s performances, which is creating increasing diversity through fusions with theatrical elements or technical features such as lighting. It’s changing very fast, with something new emerging every three to five years, [which] is what makes it so exciting.
TT: What changes have taken place within the Ju Percussion Group in response to these changes?
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JU PERCUSSION GROUP
JT: The thing about Ju Percussion Group is that it is incredibly active in performance. We have around 120 performances a year. That is why we’ve needed to split into two groups, with one group focusing on producing innovative modern works while the other focuses on more accessible music for school and university performances. This is a key aspect of our organization. It allows audiences to choose which kind of music they want to listen too ... . Some people will find the modern works difficult, while others might find the jolly environment of our school performances off-putting.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JU PERCUSSION GROUP
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JU PERCUSSION GROUP
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