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The Legendary Four

The Legendary Four was a group of four composers, Qu Xiaosong, Guo Wenjing, Ye Xiaogang and Tan Dun, who studied composition at the same time in the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. They had the opportunity to become the first group of Chinese composers to emerge from the lengthy Chinese Culture Revolution. During the Chinese Culture Revolution, they were all required to leave home and work on the farm where they gathered incomparable composition experiences through the influences of traditional Chinese folk music. The four composers are Qu Xiaosong, Guo Wenjing, Ye Xiaogang and Tan Dun. Introduction Tan Dun, Born in 1957, is a native Chinese composer, who currently resides in New York City. Biography/Life Tan Dun was born in 1957 in the city of Changsha, Hunan province. In the year 1986, he graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing as a graduate student of composition. In the same year, he moved to New York City to pursue doctoral studies at Columbia University. During his graduate studies in China and America, he composed a variety of pieces stretching across different genres, among them, his string Quartet Feng Ya Song was awarded the Weber Prize (1983), the Suntory Prize Commission (1992), and the Grawemeyer Prize for his Opera Marco Polo (1996). His American debut concert was held at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center on February 7, 1988. In 1996, he was appointed as composer and conductor by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra until 1999. Since then, he has composed many commissions for many music organizations around the world. Due to the Oscar winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and his Grammy winning film score his name became much more known throughout the United States. Lately, he has been active in events that embrace cultural communication with music. Considering his brilliant achievements, UNESCO named him as Goodwill Ambassador in 2013.

Style His compositional approach includes traditional melodies, court music, and Buddhist chants of ancient China. His works are commissioned by many famous film directors, orchestras, and opera companies all over the world. The majority of his works use sounds that mimic everyday life such as washing clothes in the Yangzi River. While at school, his compositions were influenced by a range of contemporary composers including Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Steve Reich, and John Cage. These great composers led him to compose modern music incorporating Chinese traditional language. Subsequently, he consistently uses “organic music” in his composition. For example he uses different shaped tire racks as percussion instruments in one of his pieces Champion series 2008. Influence Tan Dun’s work was relatively unknown until the premier of his ground breaking score for the Oscar winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This score became his representative to the West, which allowed him new-found popularity and success. With this success Tan Dun has devoted much of his time and work to the promotion of Chinese music. He has invited many prestigious artists, such as Yoyo Ma, Itzak Perlman, and Lang Lang, to perform in his blending of the East and the West.

Introduction Ye Xiaogang is a Chinese Composer, born in 1955, who currently serves as Professor of composition and vice president of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing.

Biography/Life Xiaogang was born in Shanghai. He studied piano with his father at age of four. After he graduated from middle school, he was required to work in a factory as a laborer during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In 1978, he enrolled as a student in the composition department of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. During his study in CCOM, he had an opportunity to study with the famous British composer Alexander Goehr at the University of Cambridge, 1980. Afterward, he held his debut concert in 1981, and his composition Poem of China won the first prize of the Tcherepnin Composers' Competition in U.S 1982. While the reform and opening-up policy was booming across every field in mainland China, he became the first Chinese representative to delegate the Asian Composers’ League Conference and Festival in Australia during 1984. In 1987, he was admitted to Eastman School of Music, where he studied composition with Dr. Samuel Adler, Dr. Joseph Schwantner, and Prof. Louis Andriessen. From then, he started to accept a variety of commissions and participate in a number of well-known music festivals in around the world such as Beijing Modern Music Festival.

Style Xian Xinghai and Ding Shande are two composers who have influenced Xiaogang’s compositional style. Both composers, like Xiaogang would, affected the progress of contemporary Chinese music history. His compositions are based on Chinese traditional melody blended with modern western music styles and techniques. He wishes to express the spirits of Chinese nationality by using folk songs.

Influence His works are frequently performed by many Chinese symphonies. As a composer in residence of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, he promotes traditional Chinese music in the modern Orchestra. His successful experiences encourage young Chinese composers to unveil the Chinese national character in their compositions.

sources

 http://musicology.cn/ShowAuthor.asp?AuthorName=%CC%B7%B6%DC

 http://www.tandunonline.com/

 http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003000/Tan-Dun.html

 http://auto.163.com/08/0831/13/4KM85LU600082COK.html

 http://bmmf.ccom.edu.cn/content/2011/05-20/203205345.html

 http://www.wohlferts.com/a/zuoqu/20130827/81956.html