Zhou Long
Zhou Long (
Biography
Zhou Long was born in
Nearing the end of the Cultural Revolution, he was able to resume his musical studies in the areas of
After graduating in 1983, Zhou Long was appointed with the position of composer-in-residence with the National Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra of China. With only a brief stay in this position, Zhou Long journeyed to the United States under a fellowship to attend Columbia University and further his composition studies with Chou Wen-chung, Mario Davidovsky, and George Edwards, receiving a Doctor of Musical Arts in 1993.[3] Living in Brooklyn, New York, he became the music director of Music From China, a group founded in 1984 with the aim of presenting concerts of traditional Chinese music in the United States. Under the direction of Zhou Long, Music From China expanded its original goals to also encompass contemporary Chinese works that reflect both Chinese and Western sound worlds and musical languages.[4]
In 2002, Zhou Long served as the composer-in-residence Music Alive!, the
and several others.After a decade, Zhou Long was given the
In July 2017, the National Youth Orchestra of China, conducted by Ludovic Morlot of the Seattle Symphony, performed Zhou Long's piece "The Rhyme of Taigu" to a sold-out Carnegie Hall.[6]
Musical style
Accompanied by other Chinese composers such as Tan Dun, Bright Sheng, and Chen Yi, Zhou Long and his contemporaries all primarily entered conservatories in Beijing and Shanghai immediately following the Cultural Revolution. After their studies, they all arrived in the United States in pursuit of higher degrees and evolving their music by intertwining elements of their old and new musical cultures.[7]
Considering himself as neither a solely Chinese nor American composer, Zhou Long draws upon influences from both musical spheres to create unique and unheard sounds in Western music circles. After arriving in the United States, a culture different from China (especially in the years following the Cultural Revolution), the different music culture in America allowed Zhou long to explore his expressive world, expand his compositional techniques and obtain a musical language of his own. He says, "Thinking about what we could do to share different cultures in our new society, I have been composing music seriously to achieve my goal of improving the understanding between peoples from various backgrounds. My conceptions have often come from ancient Chinese poetry."[2] In this regard, Zhou Long utilizes the resources of two different cultures’ sound spectrums and traditions as well as media and technology. He writes, “Verses of poetry may give you the frame; the movements of calligraphy may give you the rhythm; an ancient dark ink painting may give you space, distance and layers; a variety of sound sources may give you the color. Finally, craft ensures your own full expression.”[2]
As described in his own words, Zhou Long works to capture Chinese
References
- ^ a b c OUP “Zhou Long: Full Biography”. Oxford University Press, 13 April 2009.
- ^ a b c “Zhou Long, Composer”. CalArts Alpert Award in the Arts 13 April 2009. Archived April 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ “Zhou Long”. The Living Composers Project 6 October 2004.
- ^ Kozzin, Allan “Mixing and Matching China and the West”. The New York Times, 10 November 2004.
- ^ Peters, Jeremy W. (18 April 2011). "2011 Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced". New York Times. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^ Oestreich, James R. “The Sound of New Music Is Often Chinese; A New Contingent of American Composers”. The New York Times, 1 April 2001.
- ^ Kozinn, Allan “For Big Music, a Soaring Voice”. The New York Times, 19 December 2004.
External links
This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (June 2021) |
- Zhou Long's Oxford University Press site
- Living Composers Project biography of Zhou Long
- Music from China ensemble with Zhou Long as Music Director
- Living Composers Project bio
- Alpert Award in the Arts
- Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts
- Zhou Long and Chen Yi (August 1, 2006). "He Said, She Said: Zhou Long and Chen Yi". NewMusicBox (video included). Interviewed by Frank J. Oteri.