Composer Scrapbook: Chen Yi

Composer Scrapbook

CHENYi

THEODORE PRESSER COMPANYwww.presser.com

1953born April 4th in Guangzhou, China, a second daughter for Chen

Ernan and Du Dianqin, both medical doctors. Chen Yi’s elder sister, Chen Min, is a pianist (a child prodigy in the ‘50s), and her

younger brother, Chen Yun, is now the Concertmaster of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, and a violin professor and Chamber Music

Division Chair of the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music

begins piano and violin studies with Li Suxin and Zheng Rihua

1956

sent to work in the fields during the Chinese Cultural Revolution

1968 - 1970

1970assigned to the Beijing Opera Troupe of

Guangzhou as concertmistress and composer

1978one of the celebrated “class of 1978”: the first class to enter the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music after it was reopened following the Cultural Revolution, which includes Zhou Long, Chen Qigang, Tan Dun, Guo Wenjing, Ye Xiaogang and Qu Xiaosong, among others.

receives Bachelor of Arts degree and marries composer Zhou Long

1983

becomes the first woman in China to receive a masters degree in composition; her principal teacher is Wu Zuqiang

1986

1986arrives in the USA to pursue doctoral studies at Columbia University, where her major teachers

are Chou Wen-chung and Mario Davidovsky

1987premiere of Duo Ye No. 2 by Beijing Central Philharmonic Orchestra (the former China National Symphony Orchestra) at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, on its 10-city US tour performance, conducted by Zuohuang Chen

1990becomes a bilingual co-editor for the quarterly Music From China Newsletter in New York City

Chen Yi and Zhou Long both receive Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Columbia University

1993

Composer-in-Residence through Meet The Composer with the Women’s Philharmonic,

Chanticleer, and Aptos Creative Arts Center, all in San Francisco

Photo with Women’s Philharmonic conductor, JoAnn Falletta

1993 - 1996

performance of Symphony No. 2 by American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies (premiered by the Women’s Philharmonic in San Francisco in 1994)

1995

1996premiere of Chinese Myths Cantata by the Women’s Philharmonic, Chanticleer and Chinese traditional instrumental soloists in San Francisco, conducted by JoAnn Falletta

1996At the first Lincoln Center Festival, Elmar

Oliveira and Shlomo Mintz premiere Romance and Dance for two violins and string orchestra,

conducted by Yehudi Menuhin, in a concert celebrating Menuhin’s 80th birthday

1996 - 1998teaches at Peabody Conservatory

receives the CalArts/Alpert Award

1997

1998 - presentmoves to Kansas City to teach at UMKC, where she is Lorena Searcy Cravens/Millsap/MissouriDistinguished Professor of Composition

Evelyn Glennie premieres Percussion Concerto with the Singapore Symphony under Lan Shui. The innovative work involves reciting in Chinese by the soloist: Ms. Glennie was coached by Chen Yi

1999

1999Chanticleer vocal ensemble wins a Grammy for “The Colors of Love” CD, which includes

Written on a Rainy Night and Wild Grass, from Tang Poems

1999becomes a U.S. citizen at a ceremony in New York

2000the premiere performance takes place of

Carnegie Hall’s New Millennium Piano Book which includes Ba Ban, as well as works by

Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, and several others. Chen Yi attends the premiere of all the works in

the book, along with Babbitt and Carter.

premiere of the trio Ning (violin, cello, pipa) by Yo-Yo Ma and Chamber Music Society of

Minnesota. The work commemorates the Asian-Pacific conflict in World War II, “Ning” being

another name for the city of Nanjing, and also meaning “serene” and “peaceful”.

2001

The American Academy of Arts and Letters presents Chen Yi with the Charles Ives Living Award, its most valuable and prestigious prize, allowing the composer the financial freedom to dedicate all her efforts towards composing during the period of the award.

2001 - 2004

2002receives Elise Stoeger Award from Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York City

2004premiere of Symphony No. 3 (subtitled “My Musical Journey to America”) by the Seattle Symphony, conducted by Gerard Schwarz, at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington

Yo-Yo Ma premieres Ballad, Dance and Fantasy with the Pacific Symphony under Carl St. Clair

in Santa Ana, California. A year later, Ma gives the first New York performance with

the Singapore Symphony under Lan Shui at Avery Fisher Hall (picture L to R: Zhou Long,

Yo-Yo Ma, Lan Shui, Bright Sheng, Tan Dun).

Photo: David Hsieh

2004

2005elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

receives the prestigious Roche commission, which results in the premiere of Si Ji by the Cleveland Orchestra in Lucerne, Switzerland, in Cleveland, and at Carnegie Hall in New York. The work is subsequently a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

2006

2006 - 2011is appointed by the China Education Ministry

to the prestigious post of Cheungkong Scholar Visiting Professor at the Beijing Central

Conservatory of Music

Commissioned by the BBC Proms, Olympic Fire (now renamed Rhyme of Fire) premieres at the Royal Albert Hall in London on August 8th, the opening day of the Beijing Olympics, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Slatkin

Photo: Colin Lambert

2008

premiere of Dragon Rhyme by Hartt School Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall, conducted by

Glen Adsit, commissioned by the National Wind Ensemble Consortium Group in the U.S.A. (a

consortium of 35 organizations and individuals)

2010

premiere of Fountains of KC by the Kansas City Symphony, conducted by Michael Stern, in its opening concert at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City

2011

travels frequently to China as Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Tianjin Conservatory and becomes Artistic Committee member of the Beijing Modern Music Festival at the Beijing CCoM

2012 - 2014

American Choral Directors Association Raymond Brock commission results in multiple performances of Distance can’t keep us two apart at various ACDA regional conferences

2012

Chamber and SoloAt the Kansas City Chinese New Year Concert2Vln. Vla. Vcl. -- 14’Sale: 114-41198

Chinese Ancient Dances -- 8’Cl., Pno.Sale: #114-41262

Fiddle Suite -- 16’Huqin, Str. Quartet (or Quintet)Sale: #114-40951

From the Old Peking Folklore -- 4’Vln., Pno. Sale: #114-41373

Happy Rain on a Spring Night -- 12’Fl., Cl., Vn., Vc., Pn.Sale: #114-41271

Night Thoughts -- 8’Fl., Vc., Pn.Sale: #114-41248

Ning Trio for Violin, Cello and Pipa -- 15’Sale: #114-41133

Qi -- 12’Flute, Cello, Piano and Percussion Sale: 114-40901

Sound of the Five -- 16’Vcl., Str. QuartetSale: 114-41053

Sparkle -- 11½’Fl.(Picc.), Cl.(Ef), 2Perc., Pno., Vln., Vcl., Cb.Rental

Tibetan Tunes -- 10’Violin, Cello and PianoSale: 114-41335

Choral and VocalAs in a Dream -- 7’Two Songs for Soprano, Violin, and CelloSale: 111-40141

Bright Moonlight -- 5’Mz., Pn.Sale: 111-40190

Chinese Poems for Children’s Chorus -- 9’Sale: #312-41783

Distance can’t keep us two apart -- 5’SATB, unacc.Sale: #312-41863

A Set of Chinese Folk SongsSATBSale: 312-41731 Volume 1312-41732 Volume 2312-41733 Volume 3

Spring Dreams -- 5’SATB Chorus Sale: 312-41745

Written on a Rainy Nightfor SATB ChorusSale: 312-41837

Xuan -- 5’SATBSale: #312-41808

OrchestraBa Yin (The Eight Sounds) -- 19’for Saxophone Quartet and String Orchestra

Chinese Folk Dance Suite -- 19’for Violin and Orchestra Violin Solo; 2 2 2 2 – 4 2 3 0; 3Perc. Str.Rental

Duo Ye for Chamber Orchestra -- 7’1 1 2(Bf, Ef) 1 – 1 0 0 0; Perc. Str.Rental

Eleanor’s Gift -- 15’Solo Cello And OrchestraSolo Cello; 2 2 2 2 - 2 2 1 0; 3Perc.(incl.Timp) Hp. Str.

Ge Xu (Antiphony) -- 8’2(Picc.)-2-2-2; 4-2-3-0; Hp., Tpt., 2 Perc., Str.

The Golden Flute -- 15’Concerto for Flute and Orchestra2-2-2-2; 4-2-3-0; Hp., Tpt., 2Perc., Str.

Rhyme of Fire -- 15’3(Picc.) 3(E.H.) 3(B.Cl.) 3(Cbsn.) – 4 3(inC) 3(B.Tbn.) 1; Timp. 4Perc. Str.Rental

Romance and Dance for Two Violins and String Orchestra -- 9’Rental

Shuo for String Orchestra -- 8’Rental

Si Ji -- 15’4(Picc.) 4(E.H.) 4(B.Cl.) 4(Cbsn.) - 4 3 3(B.Tbn.) 1; Timp.(d.Perc.) 4Perc. Hp. Str.Rental

Spring in Dresden for Violin and Orchestra -- 20’2222, 4231, Hp., 3Perc. Solo Vn., Str.

Symphony No. 3 -- 20’3(Picc.) 3(E.H.) 3(B.Cl.) 3(Cbsn.) - 4 3 3 1: Timp. 3Perc. Hp. Str.

BandDragon Rhyme -- 14’Sale: 115-40206

Dunhuang Fantasy -- 12’Concerto for Organ and Chamber Wind EnsembleOrg.; 1-1-2-1; 1-1-1-0; Perc.Rental

Suite from China West for Wind Symphony Sale: 115-40201 -- 10’

Tu for Symphonic Wind Ensemble -- 13’2Fl. 1Picc. 2Ob. 2Bsn. 1CBsn. 2Cl. 1B.Cl. 4Sax.(SATB) 4Hn. 3Tpt. 2Tbn. Baritones 1B.Tbn. 1Tu. Hp. 4Perc. Cb.Rental

Wind for Wind Ensemble -- 11’2Fl. 2Ob. 2Bsn. 2Cl. B.Cl. A.Sax. T.Sax. B.Sax. 3Tpt. 4Hn. 2Tbn. B.Tbn. Bar. Tu. 3Perc.Sale: 115-40208

selected works