Qigang Chen
Qigang Chen is a composer of Chinese origin born in 1951 in Shanghai. He has lived in France since 1984, and obtained French citizenship in 1992.
Biography
Coming from an intellectual family, Qigang Chen began his musical studies as a child. When in his early teens, he was confronted with the Cultural Revolution and would spend three years locked up in a barracks, undergoing an "ideological reeducation". Nonetheless, his passion for music remained unshakeable and, in spite of the social pressure and anti-cultural policy, he pursued his training in composition.In 1977, Qigang Chen was one of 26 candidates out of two thousand to be accepted into the composition class at the Beijing Central Conservatory. After five years of studies with Luo Zhongrong, in 1983 he stood for the national competition where he came first. As a result, he was the only one in his field to be authorized to go abroad to pursue graduate studies in composition.
He was Olivier Messiaen's last student, from 1984 to 1988. His first five years in France allowed him to broaden the scope of his culture and acquire new knowledge about 20th-century music.
Qigang Chen is one of the most performed living composers around the world, winning him many accolades. In 2001 his orchestral work Wu Xing was selected from over 1000 entries as one of the five finalists of the Masterprize Award, hosted by the BBC. In 2003, EMI/Virgin Classics released an album devoted to his music, including the highly acclaimed work Iris devoilée. It was later voted by Gramophone Magazine as one of the Top Ten Classical Recordings of the Month. In 2005, he was awarded the Grand Prix de la Musique Symphonique by SACEM in recognition of his career achievement. He worked as Music Director of the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Most recently, in 2013, he was decorated with Chevalier de l'Ordre des arts et des lettres by the French government.
In 2015, he launched a composition workshop at Gonggen College in China, as a platform for dialogues with, and between, young musicians.
List of works
Chamber
- Le Souvenir for flute and harp
- San Xiao for bamboo flute, san xian, zheng, and pipa
- Extase II for oboe and instrumental ensemble
- L'éloignement for string orchestra
- Instants d'un Opéra De Pékin for piano solo
- Extase III for oboe and traditional Chinese instrumental ensemble
- Voyage d'un rêve for flute, harp, percussion, and string trio
- La clarinette enchantée for flute, oboe, clarinet, basson, and French horn
Concerti
- Feu d'Ombres for soprano saxophone and small wind ensemble
- Extase for oboe and orchestra
- Reflet d'Un Temps Disparu for cello and orchestra
- La Nuit Profonde for jinghu/jing erhu and orchestra
- Un Temps Disparu for erhu and orchestra
- Er Huang for piano and orchestra
- Extase IV for oboe and Chinese traditional orchestra
- Reflet d'un temps disparu II for cello and traditional Chinese orchestra
- Un Temps Disparu II for viola and orchestra
- Joie Eternelle for trumpet in C and orchestra
- La joie de la souffrance for violin and orchestra
Vocal Music
- Poème Lyrique II for baritone and instrumental ensemble
- Invisible Voices for 6 mixed voices and large orchestra
- Jiang Tcheng Tse for solo voice, chorus, and orchestra
Orchestra
- Wu Xing for symphony orchestra
- Iris Dévoilée for large orchestra, three female voices, pipa, erhu and banhu, and zheng
- Enchantements Oubliés for large string orchestra, harp, piano, celesta, and percussion
- Ouverture symphonique: "Instants d'un Opéra de Pékin" for symphony orchestra
- Luan Tan for orchestra
- Itinéraire d'une illusion for symphony orchestra
Electro-Acoustic
- Rêve d'un Solitaire for instrumental ensemble or orchestra and electronics
Music for Ballet
- Raise the Red Lantern
Songs
- You and Me ; theme song of 29th Olympic games in Beijing 2008
- Theme song of film Under the Hawthorn Tree for male voice
- Mother and childhood for male voice
- Invisible Forbidden City for male voice
- To meet again, in days gone by for male and female voice; theme song 2 for promotion of film "Coming Home"
- Following in your footsteps, till the end of the world for male voice; theme song 1 for promotion of film "Coming Home"
- Dream for female voice; theme song for subject-live performance at Dragon Tiger Mountain, Jiangxi
Music For Open Air Project
- Music for the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games
- Scroll Painting
- Ritual Music
- You and Me
Music For Film
- "Under the Hawthorn Tree"
- "Flowers of War"
- "Coming Home"
Publishers
- Gérard Billaudot Editeur
- Boosey & Hawkes
- Durand
General references
- BBC NOW/Zhang review – hypnotic, seductive stuff: Qigang Chen's beguiling score was conducted with love and care by Xian Zhang, who also brought grand passion to Rachmaninov's second symphony https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/30/bbcnow-zhang-chen-premiere-prom-15
- Proms 2015: Prom 15, Prokofiev, Qigang Chen & Rachmaninov, review: 'beguiling' https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/11770347/Proms-2015-Prom-15-Prokofiev-Qigang-Chen-and-Rachmaninov-review-beguiling.html
- Prom, 15, review: Qigang Chen's Iris devoilee shows an interesting way forward https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/prom-15-review-qigang-chens-iris-devoilee-shows-an-interesting-way-forward-10426743.html
- Prom 2: A tentative orchestra but a dazzling soloist https://bachtrack.com/review-proms-china-philharmonic-balsom-july-2014
- BBC Proms: China Philharmonic, review: a triumph of programming. The visit from the China Philharmonic to the Proms was full of shrewd choices says Ivan Hewett https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/10979129/BBC-Proms-China-Philharmonic-review-a-triumph-of-programming.html
- Prom 2: China Philharmonic Orchestra/Yu review – a bit too cool https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/20/prom-2-china-philharmonic-orchestra-yu-review
- Memories of son inspire composer Chen Qigang to escape his creative abyss http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1767928/memories-son-inspire-composer-chen-qigang-escape-his-creative-abyss
- Konzert West-östliche Klangspiele: Long Yu dirigiert die Münchner Philharmoniker http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/konzert-west-oestliche-klangspiele-1.3042458
- München/Die Münchner Philharmoniker – Qigang Chen – Gustav Mahler http://der-neue-merker.eu/muenchendie-muenchner-philharmoniker-qigang-chen-gustav-mahler
- The China NCPA Orchestra is brilliant at Koerner Hall in Toronto http://news.nationalpost.com/arts/music/the-china-ncpa-orchestra-is-mostly-brilliant-at-koerner-hall-in-toronto
- Beijing orchestra makes impressive showing in Chicago debut http://chicagoclassicalreview.com/2014/11/beijing-orchestra-makes-impressive-showing-in-chicago-debut/
- China's National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra is four years old and on tour https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/visiting-chinese-orchestra-gives-energetic-performance
- Qigang Chen: Works http://www.chenqigang.com/works.php