Jigu! Thunder Drums of China Perform at the Meyerhoff, One Night Only, April 2

Baltimore, Md. (February 28, 2008)-As part of their second North American tour, the Chinese percussion ensemble Jigu! Thunder Drums of China will perform at Baltimore's Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on April 2 at 7:30 p.m. Hailing from the Shanxi Province in China, this world-renown company of drummers, percussionists and musicians have performed for nearly two decades in many countries throughout the world, but only began performing in the United States last year. The percussion performance also includes vibrant costumes, stunning visual effects and exciting musical selections, revealing the pageantry of ancient epic sagas. See below for complete program information.

In Chinese, Jigu means to beat or touch the drum. The fine art of drumming and percussive performance is indicative of the rich and historic culture of the Shanxi Province, and performances by Jigu! Thunder Drums of China are deeply rooted in these folk origins. An exciting and intricate blending of traditional and modern musical and visual elements, this fascinating and innovative show was conceived by the producers of The Peking Acrobats®.

Last year, Jigu! Thunder Drums of China embarked on their very first North American Tour to great success and acclaim. This second leg of the tour began in winter 2008 and will continue through the spring.

About Jigu! Thunder Drums of China
Founded in 1988, the Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Art Ensemble perform as Jigu! Thunder Drums of China in the West. They have performed in many countries, in addition to the United States and Canada, including Denmark, Morocco, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Their performances at the Hong Kong Arts Festival were lauded "varied as the beats and drums themselves" and featured "dramatic, heart-stopping pieces" while also displaying a playful attitude with passages that are "entirely humorous!" Since their American debut in 2007, Jigu! Thunder Drums of China have released their first DVD and CD. These digitally produced media products feature their thrilling performance live and was recorded on their Premiere U.S. Tour.

When not on tour, Jigu! Thunder Drums of China participates in many national and international festivals and arts events. These appearances are many and varied and include CCTV's (Chinese Central Television's) Spring Festival, the Macao International Music Festival, the Shanghai International Arts Festival, the Chinese Folk Art Festival, the Summer of Ha'ErBin Arts Festival, the Hong Kong Drum Festival and Competition, the internationally renowned Arhus Cultural Festival in Denmark and the 2004 NBA's International Games, where they were the featured performers. Jigu! Thunder Drums of China has also won numerous awards including the 1992 Chinese Folk Competitions for Percussion and Drums Performers and they were the Gold Medalists at the 2004 National Star Awards in China given for excellence in their fields of drumming and percussive performance. They also won Gold Medals at the National Star Awards competition in 1992, 2000 and 2001. See www.sroartists.com

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION
Special Presentation: Jigu! Thunder Drums of China
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.- Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Tickets for these concerts range from $20 to $48 and are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 877.BSO.1444 or 410.783.8000, or BSOmusic.org.

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