Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalist

For applying a holistic curatorial concept in commissioning five works of different styles from Taiwan and abroad, and exhibiting the variety of possibilities in percussion music from the deep silences required for “Samsara” to the sticky sweetness of “Magic Carousel” and the creative experimentation of “Gamelan-bound,” the Ju Percussion Group exhibited a maturity of technique in its firm grasp of different styles and performance effects. The Ju Percussion Group is in its 23rd year, and the 13 current members could be said to form a “house of three generations.” Through institutional systems for training and the handing down of information, the group has long maintained astonishing standards. Committee member: Tsai-Yun LIN

Artwork Introduction

Ju Percussion Group (JPG) performed Winter Concert 2008 – Percussion Happens Daily on November 21, 2008 at the Taipei National Concert Hall.

For Percussion Happens Daily, JPG invited five renowned composers to create new and original works written especially for the group, resulting in a kaleidoscopic musical feast that pushes the current boundaries of percussion music.

All five works were diverse incorporating various historical, cultural and musical genres. “Samsara”composed by Toshimitsu TANAKA slowly reveals the melody, while the musicians accent certain beats creating a vibrant rhythm and fluidity between the various instruments. “Color's Comedy”by Gérard LECOINTE alludes to 17th century French Saraband, the courtly dance in slow triple time. The six-player piece“Dou-Zhen”by Yu-Hui CHANG features a competition with one side playing traditional Chinese music patterns on Chinese drums, while the other side plays bongos and tom toms in melodic and rhythmic reply. Eventually both sides melt into each other. Eric SAMMUT'S“Magic Carousel”incorporates Gypsy, Jazz, Latin and other influences and is written for eight performers.“Gamelan-bound”by Aurél HOLLÓ features the gamelan. The lineup of players for this piece somewhat resembles that of the Balinese orchestras, with the musicians playing the fast, interlocking patterns in two pairs, while the slower musical themes are played on bass pipes.

JPG's long term goal is to broaden the percussive music repertoire, and over the past 20 years the group has commissioned more than 100 pieces.

About the Artist

The Ju Percussion Group (JPG) founded by percussionist Tzong-Ching JU in January 1986 is Taiwan's first percussion ensemble. The group of 13 percussionists and 1 composer is known worldwide for its innovative blend of East and West, traditional and contemporary music.

JPG created three major multi-media productions for musical theater: Fantasia (1993), Dream of Chimes (1994), and See the Music (2001). The group also released 15 highly acclaimed recordings. The 1996 live recording special of JPG's 10th anniversary concert received the 1997 Taiwan Golden Melody Award for Best Performer. JPG released its 15th anniversary CD set Shiny Days (2002), and the 20th anniversary DVD Picture the Percussion (2005).