Contact: Maridith Geuder

STARKVILLE, Miss.--With athletic energy, contemporary costumes, explosive drumming, and meticulously synchronized choreography, the internationally acclaimed Japanese performance group TAO will perform March 2 at Mississippi State University
The 7:30 p.m. performance in Bettersworth Auditorium of Lee Hall is the fourth in the 2009-10 Lyceum Series season.
In 2004, TAO took the Edinburgh Festival by storm and since then has performed around the globe. Their annual "Beat of Globe" festival attracts audiences in excess of 10,000 spectators, and they have played to sold-out arenas and theatres across Europe and the Pacific.
The stars of TAO live and train at a compound in the mountains of Japan, reaching the highest level of virtuosity only after years of intensive study. There are very few Taiko drummers in the world who have achieved their caliber of skill and discipline.
In addition to their elite training, TAO is distinguished by the non-traditional flair each performer brings to the company. Drawing on diverse backgrounds, from hard rock musician, to gymnast, to composer, they offer a young and vibrantly modern take on a traditional art form.
For more information, on the MSU Lyceum Series or this program, telephone 662-325-4201 or see www.lyceum.msstate.edu or www.drum-tao.com/en/index.html.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.