DistantNews
Support us
🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

Young percussionists to showcase talent in Taipei concert

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Five young percussionists, all under 23, will perform in the "5IVE: RE/BEAT" concert organized by the Ju Percussion Group in Taipei.
  • The concert will feature eight diverse percussion ensemble pieces, showcasing the spirit of the younger generation.
  • The young musicians will perform works ranging from classical adaptations to contemporary pieces, including a challenging premiere version of a composer's work.

Five emerging percussionists, all under the age of 23, are set to take center stage at Taipei's National Recital Hall for the "5IVE: RE/BEAT" concert, presented by the Ju Percussion Group. The event, scheduled for June 12, promises a vibrant display of young talent and a fresh perspective on percussion ensemble music.

The five artists, Román Jia, Yeh Li-wei, Chen Hsien-jen, Liu Hsin-hua, and Su Wei-chuan, are all students at the Graduate School of Music and Percussion at the Taipei National University of the Arts. They will present a program of eight percussion ensemble pieces, ranging from duets to quintets. This concert marks their first solo ticketed performance, offering them a significant platform to showcase their skills and artistic vision.

Since the founding of the group in 1986, I have placed great importance on inheritance, believing that continuously giving young people a stage is essential for their growth.

— Ju Tzong-chingOn the importance of nurturing young talent

Artistic Director Ju Tzong-ching emphasized the importance of providing a stage for young artists, a principle he has upheld since the group's founding in 1986. The Ju Percussion Group 2, to which these young musicians belong, primarily handles children's concerts and outreach performances, providing dozens of stage opportunities annually. However, a dedicated solo concert like "5IVE: RE/BEAT" allows the members to confront their music more directly during preparation and performance, fostering rapid growth.

The repertoire for the concert is diverse, including classical adaptations like "Danse Macabre," a marimba concerto titled "Shadow Chaser," a drum duet called "Double Gaze," and "Hermit" which incorporates electronic music. Notably, the program also includes "Cardinal Points," a 2025 quartet by American composer Scott L. Miller, for which the group secured performance rights. They will also tackle an unreleased quintet version of "Journey of Imbatu" by Tomomi Kubota, a piece they initially learned by transcribing a performance recording before contacting the composer for the score.

The five new talents adopted a consensus decision to arrange 8 works from duet to quintet.

— Ju Percussion GroupDescribing the selection process for the concert program
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog