CONTEMPORARY CHINESE MUSIC – Tan Dun: when the music as an integral part of spiritual life
Tan Dun (born 1957, Changsha, Hunan), is a Chinese contemporary classical composer and conductor, most widely known for his music for the medal ceremonies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. http://tandun.com/ His works often incorporate audiovisual elements, but also use instruments constructed from organic materials, such as paper, water, and stone. During his time at Columbia University, he created his first opera (a setting of nature poems by Qu Yuan called Nine Songs). In the 1990s, Tan Dun began working on a series of orchestral pieces that would analyze the relationship between performer and audience by synthesizing Western classical music and Chinese ritual.
