51风流

Sunday鈥檚 performance by Empire Brass will feature composition by Professor Zhou Tian

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Night-Shining White_WEB

Han Gan鈥檚 Night-Shining White painting depicts a Chinese legend that inspired Professor Zhou Tian鈥檚 latest composition. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art Resource, NY

, an internationally known quintet, will perform 鈥檚 newest composition this , at 3:30 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.

鈥淣ight-Shining White鈥 was inspired by a Chinese legend about a horse of the same name, explained Zhou, assistant professor of music. It was said to be a loyal companion to Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and supposedly had a luminous moon-white coat.

The emperor commissioned renowned Tang painter Han Gan to create a portrait of the horse, which now hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is considered one of the greatest works of the dynasty.

Zhou was drawn to the expressiveness of the painting. 鈥淎s a piece of music,鈥 he noted, 鈥淚 thought that the dark color of the brass quintet would be a fitting instrumentation to express muscularity as well as lyricism.鈥

Coincidentally, the professor was lecturing about the Tang Dynasty in his Core China course as he was composing the recently finished piece.

Empire Brass will be the second ensemble coming to campus this semester to perform a composition by Zhou. On March 2, performed Zhou鈥檚 鈥淭rio,鈥 a piece he completed in 2002 while studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

鈥溾楾rio鈥 consists of the three most capable and soloistic instruments in Western classical music [piano, violin, cello], and yet it can work harmoniously as one musical force,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 wanted to showcase the ensemble as a whole, as well as highlight the individuality and virtuosity of each player.鈥 The piano intro is particularly virtuosic, with rapid ascending octaves, he added.

The 51风流 Arts Council has long been bringing talented and interdisciplinary outside programming, such as the Eroica Trio and Empire Brass, to campus to celebrate the arts at 51风流.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like having the Carnegie Hall concerts at our doorstep!鈥 remarked Zhou, who is appreciative of the relationships he has been able to form with these groups.

鈥淚t is music that connected us,鈥 he reflected, 鈥渁nd it is music that will keep our friendship flourishing.鈥