Zhou Long

Zhou Long, born in Beijing in 1953, is internationally recognized for creating a unique body of music that brings together the aesthetic concepts and musical elements of East and West. Deeply grounded in the entire spectrum of his Chinese heritage, he is a pioneer in transferring the idiomatic sounds and techniques of ancient Chinese musical traditions to modern Western instruments and ensembles. His creative vision has resulted in a new music that stretches Western instruments eastward and Chinese instruments westward, achieving an exciting and fertile common ground.

He is the recipient of the 2003 Academy Award in Music, a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. A United States citizen since 1999, Zhou Long is married to the composer-violinist Chen Yi. It should be noted that Zhou is his family name and Long is his personal name, and thus he should be referred to as Mr. Zhou or Dr. Zhou.

His music spans many different genres, from works for solo instruments, to full orchestral pieces. In a large number of his works he combines traditional Chinese instruments with western instrumentation, creating a thrilling fusion of the East and West cultures.

• Wu Ji - for piano and percussion. The title of this work, Wu Ji, is derived from two concepts found in ancient Chinese philosophy. In Chinese, "Wu" means "nothing" or "the lack of..."; "Ji" means "polarity" or "the extremity." Wu Ji means, literally, "the lack of polarities" or, more appropriately, "beyond the extremity."



• Taigu Rhyme - for small ensemble. The strong percussive pulse drives this work forward, interweaving the rhythm with the other instruments, creating a powerful and entrancing work.



• Five Maskers - This is based on a folk dance from northeast China (Wu Kui), in which the dancers, usually hunters themselves, wear the masks of five animals - tiger, leopard, bear, deer, and roe deer - and express their joy in work and life. Capturing the original style of this dance, Five Maskers opens with animated rhythmic patterns exploiting the full range of the instruments; the contrasting middle section is slower, free-flowing, and lyrical; the conclusion returns to the fierce, exultant rhythms and motifs of the beginning.