Enthusiasts of music in Shanghai - be it classical, pop or jazz - have been pampered with a plethora of offerings recently, as the city never fails to attract many talented and celebrated musicians from around the world.

Yet, as savvy as these music lovers may be, there is always something surprising and new to explore. And what will surely delight music fans in town this weekend is Listen to the Glass, a one-of-its-kind (if not the first of its kind) performance involving a number of instruments made of glass.

Innovative music

The show, over two nights, will be presented at the Shanghai Museum of Glass in Baoshan district by Ensemble Offspring, a Sydney-based group of musicians dedicated to innovative new music. "We've been creating a series of productions where we try to find new ways of experiencing music. And the project we are performing in Shanghai explores music made out of glass," explained Damien Ricketson, the ensemble's composer.

According to Ricketson, the instruments - all made of glass - that the three musicians play on stage include a clarinet and a small xylophone, as well as some home glassware and large glass panels.

"The home glassware, for example wine glasses, can be played with a violin bow to create some interesting sounds, while the glass panels that are suspended and hit with a percussion mallets sound a bit like gongs. They can also be a projection surface for live videos," said Ricketson.

However, the rarest item is a glass harmonica. Legend has it that the glass harmonica was invented by Benjamin Franklin (one of the founding fathers of the US) in 1761. Many distinguished Western classical composers including Mozart and Beethoven are reputed to have written for the instrument. However, it became almost extinct in the following centuries after a rumor spread that it could make people go insane. The panic reached such a level that some towns banned the instrument because its sound was considered to be a risk to public health.

Few remaining

"Today there's only one glassmaker in the world who knows exactly how to make such an instrument and there are only a handful of glass harmonicas remaining. We're lucky enough to have loaned the only one that exists in Australia," Ricketson told the Global Times.

When asked about the program the group is going to play in Shanghai, Ricketson appeared uncertain. "Although there are several sections to the one-hour or so show, there'll be no break in the music. So it's like one single piece of music which I tend to describe it as an immersive musical experience full of otherworldly, but beautiful and fragile sounds," he said.

Ensemble Offspring, whose members all come from either a classical or pop music background, has played at international festivals including the Sydney Festival and the Warsaw Autumn, and has also been invited to perform in prestigious venues such as the Sydney Opera House. After their two shows in Shanghai, the first leg of their China debut tour, the ensemble will also perform at the Hell Hot Music Festival in Hong Kong and at the Ox Warehouse in Macao early next month.

Date: Saturday and Sunday, 7 pm

Venue: Event Hall, 2/F, Shanghai Museum of Glass

上海玻璃博物馆2楼临展厅

Address: 685 Changjiang Road West, Baoshan district

宝山区长江西路685号

Admission: 20 yuan, 10 yuan for students

Call 6618-1970 for details