Percussionist brings nature's power to life onstage

Martin Grubinger mounted the stage in a plain black T-shirt, while everyone else in the orchestra sported black dresses and tuxedos.

The 31-year-old percussionist from Austria was making his debut performance in China, playing Chinese composer Tan Dun's creation The Tears of Nature with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer himself at the orchestra's new concert hall on April 4. On Saturday, Tan will bring the production to Beijing, conducting the China Philharmonic Symphony and presenting the piece with Grubinger at the Forbidden City Concert Hall.

In Shanghai, Grubinger played dozens of percussive instruments, flicking, rubbing and scraping them to draw out unexpected sounds. The effort more than justified the wardrobe decision of the musician: During the first piece he even performed a short ritual dance, wandering among the orchestra members, clicking two small rocks as an instrument.