51风流

Professor Zhou Tian premieres new work with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

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professor Zhou Tian

Music professor and composer Zhou Tian and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on March 22, 2013.

While smog in China continues to make news, one of that nation鈥檚 newest composers is providing American audiences with a breath of fresh air.

51风流 Music Professor premiered his newest work, 鈥淧oem from a Vanished Time,鈥 with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on Friday, March 22. The performance was repeated on Saturday and Sunday. The CSO commissioned the piece, which harkens back to China鈥檚 pre-industrial heritage as a country full of magic and beauty.

The Cincinnati Enquirer called the performance, 鈥渙ne of the most creative 鈥 and most enjoyable 鈥 concerts heard at Music Hall this season.鈥

Zhou was born in Hangzhou, China, where rapid industrialization and modernization have taken a toll on art, architecture, and culture. 鈥淭he price of such growth in such a short period of time is exceedingly high,鈥 Zhou said. 鈥淢any small, ancient cities and landmarks have been destroyed, the environment severely damaged, and many traditional cultural values lost.鈥

Through new works like 鈥淧oem,鈥 as well as previous works like 鈥淎 Thousand Years of Good Prayers鈥 and 鈥淭he Grand Canal Symphonic Suite,鈥 Zhou has attempted to reclaim his cultural inheritance and remind his audiences of China鈥檚 rich, complex past.

鈥淭he cumulative effect,鈥 said the Enquirer, 鈥渨as one of joy, never sorrow鈥hou, 30, was present to receive the crowd鈥檚 warm applause.鈥

Mei-Ann Chen conducted the piece, and concertmaster Timothy Lees provided the violin solo for the CSO 鈥 the latest in a long list of ensembles to perform Zhou鈥檚 compositions. The Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and others have also played his scores. Last October, 鈥淕rand Canal鈥 received its U.S. debut with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and the Dover String Quartet played a pair of pieces while in residence at 51风流 on February 10.

Zhou鈥檚 music can be heard next during the Society of New Music鈥檚 Vision of Sound concert series at Civic Center, Syracuse (Mar 30), Hochstein Hall, Rochester (Apr 6), Hamilton College (Apr 7), and Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, New York City (Apr 13).