Ming Tsao

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Ming Tsao (Chinese: 曹明; pinyin: Cáo Míng) is a Chinese American composer based in Berlin, Germany.

Biography[edit]

Born in Berkeley, California, Ming Tsao is the son of Jung Ying Tsao (曹仲英), who emigrated to California from Tianjin, China and was a collector and scholar of Chinese painting.[1] His mother, Elna Hoeber, began Ming Tsao's musical education at the age of five with the violin. Her father, Frank Hoeber, was a violinist who emigrated to Colorado from Vienna, Austria and played first violin in the Denver Symphony Orchestra.[2] As a student, Ming Tsao traveled to Suzhou, China for a year to study the traditional zither (guqin: 古琴) with the renowned guqin performer Wu Zhaoji (吳兆基). He received graduate degrees in music composition, ethnomusicology, and mathematics.[3][4]

Ming Tsao was Professor of Composition at Göteborg University, Sweden[5][6] and Visiting Professor of Composition at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media in Germany.[7][8] He was awarded a Guggenheim for music composition.[9][10] His music is published by Edition Peters[11] and has been released on the Kairos and Mode CD labels.[12][13]

Style[edit]

Ming Tsao's musical style combines what he calls the "materiality" or sensuality arising from the inherent qualities of sound, with a formal, precise rigour in compositional style.[14] His compositions have been described as "virtuosic" and the work of "a highly complex thinking"[15] conveying a "multitude of fantastic orchestrational details", and a "genuinely dazzling range of invention."[16]

His opera Die Geisterinsel ("The Ghost Island"), based on William Shakespeare's The Tempest, was premiered by the Stuttgart Opera House for a first run of performances and was subsequently given a second run of performances at the Gothenburg Opera House (under the Swedish title Prosperos Trädgård or "Prospero's Garden") with an additional second act titled Mirandas Atemwende ("Miranda's Breathturn").[17][18][19] The opera was reviewed by Opernwelt as "having broken the prejudice that New Music after Strauss has lost its capacity to be sensual."[20] Other notable projects have included two works for large ensemble: Refuse Collection, an hommage to the oeuvre of French filmmakers Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub premiered at the Academy of Arts in Berlin;[21] and Plus Minus, a full realisation of Karlheinz Stockhausen's open composition of the same name, reviewed as a "very powerful work that one experiences as if by Stockhausen himself,"[22][23] which was premiered at the Witten Days for New Chamber Music. In addition to his research on mathematical applications to music composition,[24] his principal interest has been the relation between poetry and music composition.[25] He has focused his musical works on the poetry of Paul Celan and J.H. Prynne.[26]

Notable works[edit]

Musical Compositions[edit]

  • Triode Variations (2019 – 20), large ensemble
  • Dritte Stimme zu Bachs zweistimmigen Inventionen (2019), clavichord
  • Plus or Minus (2017 – 18), two pianos and electronics
  • Refuse Collection (2017), large ensemble
  • Das wassergewordene Kanonbuch (2016 – 17), chamber choir
  • Mirandas Atemwende (2014 – 15), chamber opera
  • Plus Minus (2012 – 13), large ensemble
  • Serenade (2012), large ensemble
  • Die Geisterinsel (2010 – 11), chamber opera
  • (Un)cover (2008), seven instruments
  • If ears were all that were needed… (2007), solo guitar
  • Pathology of Syntax (2006 – 07), string quartet
  • One–Way Street (2006), six instruments
  • The Book of Virtual Transcriptions (2004 – 05), seven instruments
  • Not Reconciled (2002 – 03), five instruments
  • Canon (2001), clarinet and cello

Recordings[edit]

  • Ming Tsao: Triode Variations, Kairos Music, 2022 (0015105KAI)
  • Ming Tsao: Plus Minus, Kairos Music, 2017 (0015014KAI)
  • Ming Tsao: Die Geisterinsel, Kairos Music, 2014 (0013372KAI)
  • Ming Tsao: Pathology of Syntax, Mode Records, 2014 (mode 268)

Prose[edit]

  • Josel, Seth F. and Tsao, Ming. Techniques of Guitar Playing. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2014. ISBN 9783761822432.[27]
  • Tsao, Ming. "Reverse Transkriptionen: Auf dem Weg zu einem materialistischen musikalischen Ausdruck," MusikTexte 175 (November 2022), 34–41 (in German).
  • Tsao, Ming. "Helmut Lachenmann’s 'Sound Types'," Perspectives of New Music, Volume 52, Number 1 (Winter 2014): 217–238.
  • Tsao, Ming. Abstract Musical Intervals: Group Theory for Composition and Analysis, Musurgia Universalis Press, Berkeley, CA., 2010. ISBN 978-1430308355.

Bibliography[edit]

Bork, Camilla. "Diesseits und Jenseits der Gartens: zum Musiktheater Ming Tsaos," Musik & Ästhetik 22, 2/2018: 49 - 62 (in German).

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wan, Qingli, Zhao Li, Lu Fusheng, Qian Shaowu, Hou Yimin, Cai Xingyi, Shan Guolin (2010). Selected Masterworks of Modern Chinese Painting: The Tsao Family Mozhai Collection (4 volumes) (in Chinese). China: Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House. ISBN 978-7807258483.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Rolfs, Ninia (January 26, 2023). "Removing the Anchors". Karsten Witt Magazin.
  3. ^ Tsao, Ming (November 9, 2023). "Wise Music Classical: Ming Tsao". Wise Music Classical. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  4. ^ McGarvey, Matt (November 14, 2007). "Composer Ming Tsao on inspiration, UCSD, and the future". UCSD Department of Music Current News. Retrieved November 11, 2023.[dead link]
  5. ^ Aaberg, Helena (June 23, 2009). "Ming Tsao appointed Professor of Composition, University of Gothenburg". IDW- informationsdienst Wissenschaft Magazin. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  6. ^ Engstörm, Andreas (2012). "Konstmusik – bakgrund och identification: Kompositionsprofessorerna svarar". Nutida Musik. 1–2: 27–28.
  7. ^ Klein, Hella (January 26, 2023). "Ming Tsao: Vertretung der Professur von Prof. Rebecca Saunders (Komposition)". Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.
  8. ^ Zander, Margaret (February 27, 2021). "neue musik: Experiment und Schönheit der Neuen Musik – Komponieren studieren an der HMTM Hannover". neue musikzeitung.
  9. ^ Welsh, Kate (January 23, 2023). "Ming Tsao Fellow". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
  10. ^ Klein, Hella (April 27, 2021). "Guggenheim-Stipendium für Ming Tsao". HTMT Hochschule für Musik, theater und Medien.
  11. ^ Tsao, Ming (November 9, 2023). "Wise Music Classical". Wise Music Classical. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Tsao, Ming (November 9, 2023). "Kairos". Kairos. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  13. ^ Tsao, Ming (November 9, 2023). "Mode Records". Mode Records. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  14. ^ Witt, Karsten (December 2, 2023). "Ming Tsao Composer". karstenwittmusikmanagement.
  15. ^ Mörchen, Raoul (January 26, 2023). "Ming Tsao: Pathology of Syntax". Rondo: Das Klassik- & Jazz-Magazin.
  16. ^ Cummings, Simon (30 December 2017). "Best Albums of 2017 (Part 1)". 5 against 4.
  17. ^ Großkreutz, Verena (May 5, 2011). "Prosperos Welt: "zeitoper"-Finale mit der Uraufführung von Ming Tsaos "Die Geisterinsel" in Stuttgart". Neue Musik Zeitung.
  18. ^ Nyström, Martin (April 25, 2016). "Prosperos Trädgård" på Göteborgsoperan". Dagens Nyheter.
  19. ^ Hiekel, Jörn Peter, Christian Utz (2016). Lexicon Neue Musik (in German). Germany: J.B. Metzler. p. 459. ISBN 978-3476023261.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Thiemann, Albrecht (2015). "Steinschlag, Sandfall, Atemstrom: Ming Tsaos Kammeroper "Die Geisterinsel"". Opernwelt (September/October).
  21. ^ Hering, Tobias (January 26, 2023). "Sounds of Resistance: Huillet/Straub und Arnold Schönberg". Akademie der Kunste: Sagen Sie's den Steinen.
  22. ^ Zimmerlin, Alfred (May 3, 2013). "Erhellende Irritationen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
  23. ^ Fuchs, Jörn Florian (April 28, 2013). ""Multiple Module" - Eine Bilanz der Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik". Deutschlandfunk – Kultur heute. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  24. ^ Tsao, Ming (2007). Abstract Musical Intervals: Group Theory for Music Composition and Analysis. Berkeley, California: Musurgia Universalis Press. pp. 1–170. ISBN 978-1430308355.
  25. ^ Tsao, Ming (Autumn 2017). "What is Speculative Music Composition?". PARSE Journal. 7 (Speculation Issue): 45–62.
  26. ^ Tsao, Ming (2022). Triode Variations (in English and German). Austria: Kairos, HNE Rights GmbH.
  27. ^ Nelson, William N. (2016). "[Review] The Techniques of Guitar Playing". Music Library Association Notes. 73 (1): 109–111 – via ProQuest.

External links[edit]

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