Aside from the yarn on his mallets, marimbist Pius Cheung strives for a “no strings attached” performance that entices the ears of his audience.

Tonight at Ramsey Concert Hall, Cheung will perform a repertoire of classical and contemporary marimba arrangements that all possess a historical significance.

“Even though Pius is considered a classical musician, people will be surprised by the broad spectrum of music he can play. His program is very eclectic,” said Bobby Tyler, marketing and media relations director of the Office of Performing Arts.

In his youth, Cheung, 25, began playing the marimba. A member of the same percussion family as the xylophone, the marimba is a keyboard instrument with wooden bars and is typically struck with yarn mallets.

Marimbas originated in Africa hundreds of years ago, but the first modern marimba, which features brass resonators underneath the bars, was created in the early 20th century.

Though marimbas are often essential parts of percussion ensembles, Cheung primarily puts on solo performances, playing songs that cover a broad time-span.

Most notable of the musically historical works is “Goldberg Variations,” a song famously known for its recurring and eerie use in the Hannibal Lecter films.

Before being used as a tactic of suspense, it was a composition by Johann Sebastian Bach allegedly written to appease Russian ambassador Count Keyserling during his trouble with insomnia. Cheung is the first person to transcribe and record the piece on a marimba.

Cheung’s performance will also include an interpretation of Andrew Thomas’s Merlin, a marimba solo referencing Arthurian legend.

Cheung also has composed several works, including the award-winning piece “Three Etudes,” which also will be played at tonight’s concert.

The UGA Performing Arts Center frequently requests young artists, such as Cheung, to perform in order to illustrate the high caliber and talent of today’s youth.

“The musicians who perform on our Ramsey Concert Hall Series are rising superstars in the world of music. They are all young artists . [which makes it] gratifying for University students to see someone their own age, making a living doing something they love. It helps inspire them,” Tyler said. “I have learned that talent knows no age range.”

Undeniably, Cheung’s goal is to awaken the music-lover in all of us.

“[Not only] do I want people to get to know the variety of music in an instrument with such a short history, but I also want people to find a deeper meaning . like a transcendence of art,” Cheung said.