Tan Dun falls back in love with Beijing

The Chinese composer, who has lived in New York since 1986, is being feted back home as one of their own.

Here’s a clip from a glowing feature in the China Daily:

Zhao, veteran pipa player, who is also the president of the China National Traditional Orchestra, got up at 4 am on Saturday to go to Jingshan Park along with Tan and the musicians of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. Located in the center of Beijing and facing the north gate of the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park used to be one of the capital’s ancient imperial gardens. They climbed up the hill and arrived at the Wanchun Pavilion, which sits on the highest point of Beijing’s Central Axis, where they had a great view overlooking the Forbidden City.

“Tan Dun’s music is a reflection of his Chinese upbringing and his Western education. In his music, the audience hear him using Western instruments to create all types of sounds,” says Li Changjun, president of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. “We have plans to take this concert to other Chinese cities and abroad, in the hope that more people get to know about the city through Tan Dun’s musical portrayal.”

Tan Dun, 66, has written a Placido Domingo opera, The First Emperor, for the Met and a piano concerto for Lang Lang and the New York Philharmonic. He won greatest fame with an Oscar in 2000 for Ang Lee’s film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He is dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music.

photo: Jiang Dong/China Daily