Beating their own drums

"I didn't expect the warm feedback from the audience since, for many people, percussion instruments can only be seen in orchestras, rather than being staged as a solo instrument," he says. "We explored different types of percussion, highlighting their unique characteristics and roles in various music genres. People kept coming back to the festival. Some have been with us from little kids to young adults, which is a very rewarding experience for me."

Li started out as a xylophone player at the age of 5, when he lived in Nanjing, the capital of East China's Jiangsu province. At 12, his talent and sense of rhythm convinced his teachers and parents to send him to the middle school of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In 1988, he became one of the first Chinese students of percussion instruments to study abroad on a government scholarship in Moscow.

Li immersed himself in Europe's rich musical history and culture, learning Western classical percussion instruments and modern music with jazz musicians and symphony orchestras. In 2003, he joined as faculty of the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin, and two years later, returned to Beijing to establish a percussion instruments' department at the Central Conservatory of Music and launched his band — Li Biao Percussion Band.

On Oct 4, the Li Biao Percussion Band will stage a concert at the outdoor space of the Beijing Performing Arts Centre — a newly launched venue of the NCPA — featuring young Chinese percussionists led by Bai Weiqi, a student of Li, now teaching at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

"In the beginning, we launched the band only hoping to keep the students busy during the summer vacations. As more and more students joined in, we started to perform around the country and even abroad," says Li, noting that many percussion instruments are well-suited for group playing, fostering teamwork and collaboration in ensemble settings. The energetic and often loud nature of percussion can be exciting and motivating for young learners, encouraging continued interest in music.