(b Si Mao, Central Hunan, 1957). Chinese composer. While working as rice‐planter, collected folk‐songs. In 1975 became fiddle‐player and arranger with provincial opera troupe. Entered Central Cons., Beijing, 1978. Wrote 1st Sym., Li Sao, at age of 22 and became leader of 'new wave' in Chinese mus. His str. qt. won Weber prize in Dresden 1983 (first Chinese composer since 1949 to win int. prize), but his mus. was criticized in China for its Western inclination and was banned for 6 months. Went to Columbia Univ., NY, 1986, and his mus. was featured in Glasgow, 1988, in BBC festival of new mus. from China. Awarded Suntory prize commission 1992. His later mus., combining Chinese and Western methods, is influenced by Cage. Comps. incl.:
- operas:
- Nine Songs (ritual opera) (1989);
- Marco Polo (1993–4);
- Peony Pavilion (1998);
- Tea: a Mirror of Soul (2002).
- orch.:
- Li Sao (sym.) (1979–80); pf. conc. (1983);
- Self‐Portrait (from Death and Fire), str. (1983/92); Sym. in 2 movts. (1985);
- On Taoism, v., orch. (1985);
- Out of Peking Opera, vn., orch. (1987);
- Orchestral Theatre O (1990), I: Xun (1990), II: Re (1992), III: Red (1993–4), IV: The Gate (1999);
- Death and Fire: Dialogue with Paul Klee (1992);
- Yi, vc. conc. (1993–4);
- Heaven Earth Mankind, sym. (1997);
- 2000 Today: a World Symphony for the Millennium (1999);
- Crouching Tiger Concerto, vc., orch. (2000); Conc. for Orch., gui., orch. (2002);
- Paper Concerto for Paper Perc. & Orch., orch. (2003).
- ens. (& voice):
- Fu, sops., bass, ens. (1982);
- Silk Road, sop., perc. (1989);
- Circle with 4 Trios, Conductor, and Audience (1992);
- Lament: Autumn Wind, any 6 instrs., any v., cond. (1993);
- Memorial 19 Fucks, v., pf., db. (1993);
- A Sinking Love, v., ens. (1998).
- chamber music:
- Str. Qt.: Feng Ya Song (1982);
- 8 Colours, str. qt. (1986–8);
- In Distance, picc., hp., bass drum (1987);
- Elegy: Snow in June, vc., 4 perc. (1991);
- Music for Pipa and Str. Qt. (1999);
- Secret Land, 12 solo vc. (2004).
- piano:
- A Child's Diary (1978);
- 5 Pieces in Hunan Accent (1978);
- Traces (1989–92);
- R: Beatles (1990);
- CAGE (1993).
- experimental:
- The Silk Road, poet's v., 5 performers (1989);
- Soundshape, ceramics, v., movement (1990);
- Silent Earth, ceramics, 7 performers (1991);
- Jo‐Ha‐Kyu, acoustic mus. (1992);
- The Pink, acoustic mus. for paper (1993).
