Qigang Chen

Qigang Chen (Chinese: 陈其钢; pinyin: Chén Qígāng, pronounced [tʂʰə̌n t͡ɕǐkɑ́ŋ]) is a composer of Chinese origin born in 1951 in Shanghai. He has lived in France since 1984, and obtained French citizenship in 1992.

Qigang Chen was born into a family of artists, including several members who were sent to the Laogai during the Cultural Revolution. Chen was sent to an ideological reeducation camp. After the introduction of induction courses for higher education in 1977, Chen passed a series of tests which allowed him to go and study abroad. At the age of 33 he arrived in Paris where he was the final student of Olivier Messiaen until 1988.

Awards

Chen received the 2005 Symphony Music Award of SACEM, Paris, and 2006 prize of the Académie Charles Cros.

Chen Qigang was Music Director of the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing^[1]

• 1975-1978
  • Conductor and composer for the Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra
• 1983-1984
  • Assistant professor of musical writing at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing
• 1986
  • First prize (awarded by the French Ministry of Culture) in the International Composition Contest (Buffet Crampon) for clarinet and string quartet in Paris
• 1987
  • Sextet Voyage d'un rêve commissioned by Radio France
• 1988
  • Symphonic work Yuan commissioned by Radio France
  • Winner of the 27th International Contest of Symphony Composition of Citta di Trieste
• 1989
  • Awarded the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Grant
• 1990
  • State commissioned work for saxophone and 14 instruments: Feu d'ombres
  • Selected "Musician of the Year" by the Chinese press
  • Poème lyrique II for 12 musicians commissioned by the Nieuw Ensemble (Holland)
• 1991
  • State commissioned concerto for flute and orchestra
  • Winner of the Hervé Dugardin prize of the SACEM (Society of Composers and Publishers)
• 1992
  • Awarded the Nadia and Lili Boulanger grant
  • Winner of the International Contest of Composition for organ of Saint-Rémy de Provence
  • Monographic CD by Musique française aujourd'hui (REM)
• 1993
  • Rêve d'un solitaire for 29 musicians and electronics
  • Awarded the Prize Villa Medicis Hors les Murs
• 1994
  • Jury of the Irino International Composition Contest (Japan) Jury of the Taiwan International Composition Contest
• 1995
  • Portrait Qigang Chen organised by China International Culture Exchange Center at Beijing and Shanghai with the AFAA, the SACEM and the French embassy
  • Artistic consultant at Radio France for the Festival Présence 1996
  • Creation of Extase for oboe and orchestra commissioned by the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie
• 1996
  • Creation of Sanxiao for Chinese traditional instruments commissioned by Radio France
  • Creation of Un instrument de silence for guqin and instrumental ensemble commissioned by the Nieuw Ensemble (Holland)
• 1997
  • Resident composer and professor at the Centre Acanthes of Avignon
• 1998
  • President of the jury of the 9th International Composition Contest of Besançon
  • Creation of Reflet d'un temps disparu for cello and orchestra by Yo-Yo Ma, the Orchestre National de France and Charles Dutoit
  • Choreography on Poème lyrique II by Michael Mao Dance in New York
• 1999
  • Creation of Wu Xing for orchestra performed by the Orchestre National de France
  • Creation of Instants d'un opéra de Pékin commissioned by the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition 2000
  • Jury of the International Composition Contest at Hong Kong.
  • Artistic consultant at the Cité de la Musique in Paris for the project La voix du dragon
• 2000
  • Awarded Grand Prize of the City of Paris
  • Creation of the four acts ballet Raise the Red Lantern from Zhang Yimou: based on Zhang Yimou's film of the same title, premièred by the China National Ballet in May 2001, Beijing.
  • First projection of art film based on Poème Lyrique II in Netherlands.
• 2001
  • Wu Xing (The Five Elements) for orchestra owned the finalists award of "Master prize" in UK
  • Creation of Iris dévoilée concert suite for three female voices, three traditional Chinese instruments and orchestra, commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, premièred by the Orchestre National de France, Muhai Tang in February
• 2002
  • Creation Un temps disparu for erhu and orchestra, commissioned by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Canada April 2002.
  • Chen’s monographic concert was organized by The Beijing Musical Festival in which Iris dévoilée, Un Temps Disparu for erhu and orchestra, and Wu Xing received their Chinese premieres by the China Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Muhai Tang
• 2003
  • Creation of L’éloignement, for orchestra,commissioned by Stuttgart Kammerorchester and premiere on Nov.6 on Shanghai International Arts Festival, China
  • Virgin Classics made Chen’s symphony works album “Iris Devoilée”
• 2004
  • Creation of Enchantements oubliés, commissioned by Kurt Masur, the conductor of l’Orchestre National de France. Premiere in Paris by French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra on Jan of 2008, conducted by Alan Gilbert
  • Resident composer at Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra
• 2004–2005
  • Creation of Songe d’une femme française, commisstioned by Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra and Vandoren SAS and premiere on Jun of 2005 by Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Muhai Tang.
• 2005
  • Awarded Grand Prize of Symphonic Music of SACEM
• 2006
  • EMI/VIRGIN made Mr.Chen’s new works album “Extase” and awarded “5 Stars Disc”by BBC Music Magazine, “the best modern music albums of 2006”by French 查尔斯. 克罗学院.
  • Awarded as “the best composer of the year” by French magazine “La lettre du musicien”’ as “the best composer of the year chosen by the professors of French high school .
  • Appointed as the artistic director of “Presence China”’s Chinese Part.
  • Together with Radio France and “Shanghai Spring” music festival propose “Presences China” series at Shanghai,Mr. Chen invited the international composers visit China and compose the feeling about China base on Chinese instruments.
• 2007–08
  • Appointed as the music director for the Opening Ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games
• 2008
  • Awarded Mercedes-AMG: National Spirit Achievers Prize
  • Awarded as the 2008 Honorable Fellow of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
  • The song You and Me awarded “Five One Programmes” Prize for the spiritual and civilization by the Publicity Ministry of China
• 2009
  • Creation of Er Huang, commissioned by Carnegie Hall and premiere on October in Carnegie Hall
• 2010
  • Awarded Extraordinary Composer Prize of the 7th Chinese Golden Records

List of Works

Ballets

• Épouses et concubines (based on Raise the Red Lantern), 4-act ballet (2003)

Orchestral

• Yuan (Origins), for symphony orchestra (1987–88)
• Lumières de Guang Ling, for chamber orchestra (1989)
• Rêve d’un solitaire, for instrumental ensemble or orchestra and electronics (1992–93)
• Wu Xing, (The Five Elements), for chamber orchestra (1998–99)
• L'Éloignement, for string orchestra (2003)
• Enchantements oubliés, for string orchestra (2004)

Concertante

• Un Pétale de lumière, for flute and orchestra (1993)
• Extase, for oboe and orchestra (1995)
• Reflet d’un temps disparu, for violoncello and orchestra (1995–96)
• Extase II, for oboe and instrumental ensemble (1997)
• La Nuit profonde, for jing hu, jing er hu and orchestra (2001)
• Un Temps disparu, for erhu and orchestra (2002)
• Er Huang, for piano and orchestra (2009)
• Extase III, arrangement of Extase for oboe and Chinese traditional instrumental ensemble (1995/2010)
• Extase IV, arrangement of Ectase for oboe and Chinese traditional orchestra (1995/2011)
• Reflet d’un temps disparu II, arrangement of Reflet d’un temps disparu for cello and Chinese traditional orchestra (1995/2011)

Vocal

• Poème lyrique, for baritone and instrumental ensemble (1990)
• Poème lyrique II, for baritone and instrumental ensemble (1991)
• Iris dévoilée, for 3 three female voices, 3 traditional Chinese instruments (erhu, pipa, zheng), and orchestra (2001)
• Songe d’une femme française, for soprano, clarinet, and orchestra (2004–05)
• Invisible voices, for 6 mixed voices and orchestra (2005)
• You and Me, duet for male and female voice (2008)
• Theme from Under the Hawthorn Tree, for male voice (2010)
• Mother and Childhood, for male voice (2011)

Chamber/Instrumental

Solo instrument and ensemble

• Feu d’ombres, for soprano saxophone and instrumental ensemble (1990)
• Concerto pour un instrument de silence, for guqin and instrumental ensemble (1996)

Ensemble

• Voyage d'un rêve, for flute, harp, percussion, and string trio (1987)
• San Xiao, for 4 traditional Chinese instruments (bamboo flute, sanxian, zheng, and pipa) (1995)
• Énergie comtemplative, for three flutes (1996)

Solo piano

• Instants d'un opéra de Pékin, for solo piano (2000/04)

Solo organ

• Hui Sheng, for solo organ (1992)

String quartet

• Yi, for clarinet and string quartet (1986)

Violin and piano

• Caprice, for violin and piano (2011)

Solo cello

• Reflet d'un temps disparu, for solo cello (1996)

Flute and harp

• Le Souvenir, for flute and harp (1985)

Oboe and piano

• Danse, for oboe and piano (1987)

Oboe and percussion

• Énergie spirale, for oboe and percussion (1996)

Film music

• Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010)
• The Flowers of War (2011)

Other

• Qigang Chen served as the Musical Director of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and wrote its theme song, You and Me.^[1]

Publishers

Works written 1985–2007

Éditions Gérard Billaudot
14, rue de l'Echiquier
75010 Paris
France
Tel : +33 (0)1 47 70 14 46
Fax : +33 (0)1 45 23 22 54
Web: www.billaudot.com

Works written after 2008

Boosey & Hawkes, Ltd.
Aldwych House
71-91 Aldwych
London WC2 B4HN
United Kingdom
Tel : +44 20 7054 7200
Web: www.boosey.com

Raise the Red Lantern only

Éditions Musicales Durand
16, rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques
75005 Paris
France
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 41 50 90
Fax: +33 (0)1 44 41 50 91
Web: www.durand-salabert-eschig.com

References

External links

• Site of the artist
• Interview with Chen Qigang about the cultural revolution and the question of style in Chinese music