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THIS WEEK MUSIC maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 JUNE 2019 4 Could you tell us a little bit about your musical background, and in particular how your career as a musician first started? What were the early highlights of your development, and how did it all evolve from there? I got a violin as a birth- day gift from my dad when I was three, and I began my early music training soon after that. Two years later, I also took to the piano. My dad used to be the conduc- tor of the Chinese military brass orchestra, and I always followed him to rehearsals, which led to my love for per- cussion – I could always be found seated by the percus- sion section! My musical journey has, so far, been marked by a few im- portant turning points. After I won first prize in percus- sion at the Chinese national music competition at the age of 15, a member of the jury – who happened to be an ex- pert on percussion – suggest- ed that I continue studying percussion under his tute- lage, at the prestigious Cen- tral Conservatory of Music in Beijing. That really started off my studies in percussion, and I studied and lived in Beijing for seven years during that period. During my final undergrad- uate year, I auditioned for Maestro Tan Dun's opera, 'Tea', and was then fortunate enough to be selected as the primary solo percussionist for the opera's premiere dur- ing the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. I was subsequently invited to perform as a soloist in Tan Dun's 'organic music' trilogy: Water Concerto, Paper Con- certo and Earth Concerto. So, my collaboration with Tan Dun extends to a decade at this point, and was crucial in establishing my career in- ternationally. After completing my stud- ies in Chinese percussion in Beijing, I went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, focus- ing on orchestral and solo performance while collabo- rating with a variety of dif- ferent orchestras an artists – an experience which took me all around the world. I was also lucky enough to be granted the 'Exceptional Tal- Renowned Chinese percussionist Beibei speaks to TEODOR RELJIC ahead of two upcoming concerts as part of this year's edition of the Malta International Arts Festival – one of which will take place in front of the Ħaġar Qim temples Time-travelling percussion Teodor Reljic