Editing Tan Dun

{{Short description|Chinese-American composer and conductor (born 1957)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Tan (surname)|Tan (譚/谭)]]|lang=Chinese}}
[[File:Tan Dun.JPG|thumb|right|Tan in 2011]]<!-- Before adding an infobox, please consult [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Composers#Biographical infoboxes]] and seek consensus on this article's talk page. -->

'''Tan Dun''' ({{zh|s=谭盾|p=Tán Dùn}}, {{IPA|cmn|tʰǎn tu̯ə̂n}}; born 18 August 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor.{{sfn|Lee|2003|loc=§ para. 1}}{{sfn|Hung|2011|p=601}} A leading figure of [[contemporary classical music]],{{sfn|Hung|2011|p=601}} he draws from a variety of [[Western world|Western]] and Chinese influences, a pairing which has shaped much of his life and music.{{sfn|Lee|2003|loc=§ para. 2}} Having collaborated with leading orchestras around the world, Tan is the recipient of [[#Awards and honors|numerous awards]], including a [[Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition|Grawemeyer Award]] for his opera ''[[Marco Polo (opera)|Marco Polo]]'' (1996) and both an [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Academy Award]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media|Grammy Award]] for his [[film score]] in [[Ang Lee]]'s ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]'' (2000). [[#List of compositions|His ''oeuvre'']] as a whole includes operas, orchestral, vocal, chamber, solo and [[film scores]], as well as genres that Tan terms "organic music" and "music ritual."

Born in [[Hunan]], China, Tan grew up during the [[Cultural Revolution]] and received musical education from the [[Central Conservatory of Music]]. His early influences included both [[Chinese music]] and [[20th-century classical music]]. Since receiving a [[Doctor of Musical Arts|DMA]] from [[Columbia University]] in 1993, Tan has been based in [[New York City]].{{sfn|Hung|2011|p=601}} His compositions often incorporate audiovisual elements; use instruments constructed from organic materials, such as paper, water, and stone; and are often inspired by traditional Chinese theatrical and ritual performance. In 2013, he was named a [[UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador]].<ref>UNESCO. "Tan Dun." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/goodwill-ambassadors/tan-dun/.</ref>

==Biography==
Tan Dun was born in 1957 in a village in [[Changsha]] in [[Hunan]], China. As a child, he was fascinated by the rituals and ceremonies of the village shaman, which were typically set to music made with natural objects such as rocks and water.<ref>[[Frank J. Oteri]]. "Tradition and Innovation: The Alchemy of Tan Dun." ''Tan Dun Online'', 15 October 2007. Accessed 1 November 2013. {{cite web |url=http://www.tandunonline.com/mystory |title=My Story – Tan Dun Online |access-date=4 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111041943/http://www.tandunonline.com/mystory |archive-date=11 November 2013  }}.</ref> Due to the bans enacted during the [[Cultural Revolution]], he was discouraged from pursuing music and was sent to work as a rice planter on the Huangjin commune. He joined an ensemble of other commune residents and learned to play traditional [[Chinese instruments#Silk .28.E7.B5.B2.29|Chinese string instruments]]. Following a ferry accident that resulted in the death of several members of a [[Peking opera]] troupe, Tan Dun was called upon as a violist and arranger. This initial success earned him a seat in the orchestra, and from there he went to study at the [[Central Conservatory of Music]] in [[Beijing]] in 1977.<ref>Central Conservatory of Music. "CCOM Celebrates Its 70th Founding Anniversary." 11 November 2010. Accessed 1 November 2013. http://en.ccom.edu.cn/wn/events/2010f/201209030013.shtml.</ref> While at the Conservatory, Tan Dun came into contact with composers such as [[Toru Takemitsu]], [[George Crumb]], [[Alexander Goehr]], [[Hans Werner Henze]], [[Isang Yun]], and [[Chou Wen-Chung]], all of whom influenced his sense of musical style.

In 1986, he moved to [[New York City]] as a doctoral student at [[Columbia University]], once again studying with Chou Wen-Chung, who had studied under [[Edgard Varèse]]. At Columbia, Tan Dun discovered the music of composers such as [[Philip Glass]], [[John Cage]], [[Meredith Monk]], and [[Steve Reich]], and began incorporating these influences into his compositions. He completed his dissertation, ''Death and Fire: Dialogue with Paul Klee'', in 1993.<ref>The Department of Music at Columbia University. "Dun, Tan." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://music.columbia.edu/people/bios/tdun.</ref> Inspired by a visit to the [[Museum of Modern Art]], ''Death and Fire'' is a short symphony that engages with the paintings of [[Paul Klee]].<ref>Music Sales Group. "Death and Fire: Dialogue with Paul Klee (1992)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33554</ref> On June 15, 2016, he created the Grand Opening Theme Song of [[Shanghai Disney Resort]]. He began his tenure as Dean of the [[Bard College Conservatory of Music]] on July 1, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hong |first=Xiao |date=December 27, 2018 |title=Famed conductor Tan Dun to lead music conservatory at Bard College |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201812/27/WS5c24e812a310d91214051553.html |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=China Daily USA}}</ref>

==Music==
===Opera===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Ceramic musical instruments by Ragnar Naess for Tan Dun.jpg|thumb|right|Ceramic string instruments used in ''Nine Songs'']] -->
During his time at Columbia University, Tan Dun composed his first opera, a setting of nature poems by [[Qu Yuan]] called ''Nine Songs'' (1989). The poems are sung in both [[Classical Chinese]] and contemporary English alongside a small ensemble of Western and Chinese instruments. Among these are a specially built set of 50 ceramic percussion, string, and wind instruments, designed in collaboration with potter Ragnar Naess.<ref>Nicole V. Gagné, ''Historical Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Classical Music'' (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2012), 139.</ref> To emphasize the shamanistic nature of Qu Yuan's poetry, the actors dance and move in a ritualized manner.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Nine Songs (1989)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33568.</ref>

Tan Dun's second work in the genre, ''[[Marco Polo (opera)|Marco Polo]]'' (1996), set to a libretto by [[Paul Griffiths (writer)|Paul Griffiths]], is an [[Story within a story|opera within an opera]]. It begins with the spiritual journey of two characters, Marco and Polo, and their encounters with various historic figures of literature and music, including [[Dante Alighieri]], [[William Shakespeare]], [[Scheherazade]], [[Sigmund Freud]], [[John Cage]], [[Gustav Mahler]], [[Li Po]], and [[Kublai Khan]]. These sections are presented in an abstract, [[Peking opera]] style. Interwoven with these sections are the travels of the real-life [[Marco Polo]], presented in a Western operatic style.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Marco Polo (1995)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33573.</ref> Though the score calls for traditional Western orchestral instrumentation, additional instruments are used to indicate the location of the characters, including [[recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]], [[rebec]], [[sitar]], [[tabla]], [[singing bowls]], [[Tibetan horn]], [[Sheng (instrument)|sheng]], and [[pipa]].<ref>Tan Dun, ''Marco Polo'' (New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1995).</ref> The opera won the [[Grawemeyer Award (Music Composition)|Grawemeyer Award]] for Music Composition in 1998.<ref name="grawemeyer">The Grawemeyer Awards. "Previous Winners." Accessed 1 November 2013. {{cite web |url=http://grawemeyer.org/music/previous-winners/ |title=Previous Winners — University of Louisville |access-date=8 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528221354/http://grawemeyer.org/music/previous-winners |archive-date=28 May 2013  }}.</ref>

That same year, Tan Dun premiered his next opera, ''[[The Peony Pavilion (opera)|The Peony Pavilion]]'', an adaptation of [[Tang Xianzu]]'s 1598 [[Kunqu]] [[The Peony Pavilion|play of the same name]]. Directed by [[Peter Sellars]] in its original production, Tan Dun's work is performed entirely in English, though one of the characters must be trained in Peking or Kunqu style. The small ensemble of six musicians performs electronics and Chinese instruments onstage with the actors. Stylistically, the music is a blend of [[Experimental music|Western avant-garde]] and [[Chinese opera]].<ref>Music Sales Group. "Peony Pavilion (1998)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33582.</ref>

At this point in his career, Tan Dun had created many works for "organic instruments," i.e. instruments constructed from materials such as paper, water, ceramic, and stone. For his fourth opera, ''[[Tea (opera)|Tea: A Mirror of Soul]]'' (2002), co-authored by librettist [[Xu Ying (librettist)|Xu Ying]], organic instruments factor prominently into the structure of the opera itself. The title of each act corresponds to the materials of the instruments being used, as well as the opera's plot. The first act, entitled "Water, Fire", opens with a [[tea ceremony]] onstage while percussionists manipulate glass bowls of water. The second act, "Paper", features music on rice paper drums and depicts the characters' search for ''[[The Classic of Tea]]'', the first book to codify tea production and preparation in China. The third and final act, "Ceramic, Stones", depicts the death of the protagonist's love. Percussionists play on pitched flowerpots, referred to as "Ceramic chimes" in the score.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Tea: A Mirror of Soul (2002)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33592.</ref><ref>Tan Dun, Tea: A Mirror of Soul (New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 2002).</ref>

Tan Dun's most recent opera, ''[[The First Emperor]]'' (2006), was commissioned by the [[Metropolitan Opera]] with the title role created for [[Plácido Domingo]]. Co-authored by Tan Dun and Chinese novelist [[Ha Jin]], the opera focuses on the [[Qin's wars of unification|unification of China]] under [[Qin Shi Huang]], first emperor of the [[Qin dynasty]], and his relationship with the musician [[Gao Jianli]]. Like Tan Dun's previous operas, ''The First Emperor'' calls for Chinese instruments in addition to a full orchestra, including [[guzheng]] and [[bianzhong]]. The original Met production was directed by [[Zhang Yimou]], with whom Tan Dun had collaborated on the film ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]''.<ref>Music Sales Group. "The First Emperor (2006)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/35240.</ref>

===Film and multimedia===
Tan Dun earned more widespread attention after composing the score for [[Ang Lee]]'s ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]'' (2000), for which he won an [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Academy Award]], a [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media|Grammy Award]], and a [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Music|BAFTA Award]].<ref name="oscars">The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "The Official Academy Awards Database." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org.</ref><ref name="grammy">The Recording Academy. "Past Winners Search." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search.</ref><ref name="bafta">[http://awards.bafta.org/award/2001/film/anthony-asquith-award-for-the-achievement-in-film-music "Film: Anthony Asquith Award for Original Film Music in 2001."] [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]. Retrieved 5 September 2016.</ref> Other film credits include the aforementioned ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]'' ([[Zhang Yimou]], 2002), [[Gregory Hoblit]]'s ''[[Fallen (1998 film)|Fallen]]'' (1998), and [[Feng Xiaogang]]'s ''[[The Banquet (2006 film)|The Banquet]]'' (2006).

Following the composition of the film score for ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'', Tan Dun rearranged the music to create the ''Crouching Tiger Concerto'' for cello, video, and chamber orchestra. Containing edited footage from the film, this work reverses the role of music in film by treating video as secondary.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Crouching Tiger Concerto (2000)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33553.</ref> This same technique was later applied to his film scores for ''Hero'' and ''The Banquet'', resulting in the larger work known as the ''Martial Arts Cycle''.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Martial Arts Cycle." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/46821.</ref>

In 2002, Tan Dun continued experimenting with application of video in music ''The Map'', also for cello, video, and orchestra. ''The Map'' features documentary footage depicting the lives of China's [[Tujia people|Tujia]], [[Miao people|Miao]], and [[Dong people|Dong]] [[List of ethnic groups in China|ethnic minorities]].<ref>Janet E. Bedell, "The Map: Concerto for Violoncello, Orchestra and Video." Boston Symphony Orchestra, 2007. Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.bsomusic.org/res/multimedia/101207TanDunTheMap.pdf.</ref> The musicians onstage, including the cello soloist, interact with the musicians onscreen—a duet of live and recorded performance.<ref>Music Sales Group. "The Map: Concerto for Cello, Video and Orchestra (2002)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33565.</ref> The work was premiered and commissioned by the [[Boston Symphony Orchestra]] with [[Yo-Yo Ma]].<ref>Boston Symphony Orchestra. "World Premieres: The New Millennium." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.bso.org/brands/bso/about-us/historyarchives/archival-collection/world-premieres-at-the-bso/world-premieres-the-new-millennium.aspx.</ref>

Tan Dun's most recent multimedia work, ''Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women'' (2013), is a 13-movement work for video, solo harp, and orchestra. Following years of [[Ethnomusicology|ethnomusicological]] research in Hunan, the work captures the sounds of [[Nüshu script]], a phonetic writing system devised by women speakers of the [[Xiangnan Tuhua]] dialect who had been disallowed from receiving formal education. Considered a [[language death|dying language]], Tan Dun's research resulted in a series of short films of women singing songs written in Nüshu, which are presented alongside the orchestral performance. As with ''The Map'', the songs in the video are used in counterpoint to the live music.<ref>The Philadelphia Orchestra. "Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra Present Philadelphia Commissions Micro-Festival." 27 August 2013. Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.philorch.org/press-room/news/yannick-n%C3%A9zet-s%C3%A9guin-and-philadelphia-orchestra-present-philadelphia-commissions.</ref>

===''Orchestral Theatre'' series===
In the 1990s, Tan Dun began working on a series of orchestral pieces that would analyze the relationship between performer and audience by synthesizing Western classical music and Chinese ritual. According to the composer, <blockquote>If we look at the idea of 'art music' with its firm separation of performer and audience, we see that its history is comparatively short. Yet the history of music as an integral part of spiritual life, as ritual, as partnership in enjoyment and spirit, is as old as humanity itself.<ref name="ot2">Music Sales Group. "Orchestral Theatre II: Re (1992)." Accessed November 1, 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33578.</ref></blockquote>

In the first piece of the series, ''Orchestral Theatre I: O'' (1990), members of the orchestra make various vocalizations—chanting [[Non-lexical vocables in music|nonsense syllables]], for instance—while playing their instruments using atypical techniques. For examples, the harp is played as a gushing, and the violins are played as percussion instruments.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Orchestral Theatre (1990)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33571.</ref>

''Orchestral Theatre II: Re'' (1992) expands the concept of ritual by involving the audience. The orchestra is split, with the strings, brass, and percussion onstage, while the woodwinds surround the audience. The score also calls for two conductors, with one facing the stage, and the other facing the audience. The latter conductor cues the audience to hum along with the orchestra in certain sections of the music. The work's namesake derives from humming the [[solfège]] pitch "re".<ref name="ot2" />

The third piece in the series, ''Red Forecast (Orchestral Theatre III)'' (1996), involves more staging elements than its predecessors, adding television monitors, lighting, and even stage directions for the musicians. In this multimedia work, the orchestra is led by both a human conductor and a virtual conductor who appears on the monitors. While the human conductor leads, the monitors depict a variety of images from the 1960s and the [[Cold War]]: a collage of [[Mao Zedong]], the [[Cultural Revolution]], [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], [[John F. Kennedy]], [[The Beatles]], [[Nikita Khrushchev]], and [[hydrogen bomb]] testing. In addition to the video, an audio recording of a weather forecast is played.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Red Forecast (Orchestral Theatre III) (1996)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33583.</ref><ref>Tan Dun, ''Red Forecast (Orchestral Theatre III)'' (New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1996).</ref>

The final piece in the series, ''The Gate (Orchestral Theatre IV)'' (1999), focuses on three women of literary fame: [[Consort Yu (Xiang Yu's wife)|Yu]] from ''[[The Hegemon-King Bids His Concubine Farewell]]'', [[Juliet]] from ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', and Koharu from ''[[The Love Suicides at Amijima]]''. Based on the theme of sacrifice for love, ''The Gate'' is structured as a [[Variation (music)|theme and variations]]. The style of each section corresponds to its respective character's country of origin. Additionally, Yu is played by a Peking opera singer ([[Shi Yihong|Shi Min]]), Juliet by a Western opera soprano (Nancy Allen Lundy), and Koharu by a [[Bunraku|Japanese puppeteer]] ([[Jusaburō Tsujimura]]). As in ''Orchestra Theatre II: Re'', the orchestra is distributed onstage and amongst the audience. ''The Gate'' also incorporates video, but unlike the prerecorded images used in ''Red Forecast'', a projection screen displays live images of the three actress-soloists, manipulated in real time by a [[video art]]ist. The video artist for the 1999 premiere was [[Elaine J. McCarthy]].<ref>Music Sales Group. "The Gate (Orchestral Theatre IV) (1999)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33559.</ref><ref>Tan Dun, ''The Gate (Orchestral Theatre IV)'' (New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1999).</ref>

===Organic music===
Many of Tan Dun's works call for instruments made of materials such as paper, stone, or water, but the compositions that he classifies as "organic music" feature these instruments most prominently. The first major work for organic instruments was his ''Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra'' (1998), dedicated to [[Toru Takemitsu]]. According to the composer, the sounds made by the soloist are inspired by the sounds of everyday life growing up in Hunan.<ref>Tan Dun, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra & Elmquist, Helen, ''Water Concerto'', DVD.</ref> Basins are filled with water, and the contents are manipulated with bowls, bottles, hands, and other devices. Other water instruments used include the [[waterphone]]. Various means of amplification are used, including [[contact microphone]]s on the basins.<ref>Tan Dun, ''Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra'' (New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 1998).</ref>

The techniques devised in the ''Water Concerto'' were used again in Tan Dun's ''Water Passion After St. Matthew'' (2000). Written to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the death of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], the work for chorus, orchestra, and water percussion follows the [[Gospel of Matthew]], beginning with [[Baptism of Jesus|Christ's baptism]]. The chorus doubles on [[tingsha]], and the soprano and bass soloists double on [[xun (instrument)|xun]]. The score also requires Mongolian [[overtone singing]] from the soloists. As with ''Orchestral Theatre I: O'', members of the orchestra play their instruments with techniques borrowed from non-Western traditions.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Water Passion After St. Matthew (2000)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33598.</ref><ref>Tan Dun, ''Water Passion After St. Matthew'' (New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 2000).</ref>

Tan Dun's next major organic work, ''Paper Concerto for Paper Percussion and Orchestra'' (2003), explores the acoustic range of paper. Instruments constructed from differing thicknesses of paper are used as cymbals, drums, or reeds. Additionally, sheets of paper are shaken or struck. These sounds are amplified primarily through wireless microphones worn by the musicians.<ref>Tan Dun, ''Paper Concerto for Paper Percussion and Orchestra'' (New York: G. Schirmer, Inc., 2003).</ref> This work was commissioned by the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]] for the opening of the [[Walt Disney Concert Hall]].<ref>Los Angeles Philharmonic. "Los Angeles Philharmonic Welcomes More Than 3,000 Local School Children to First Preview of New Walt Disney Concert Hall." 20 October 2003. Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.laphil.com/press/los-angeles-philharmonic-welcomes-more-3000-local-school-children-first-preview-of-new-walt {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618003859/http://www.laphil.com/press/los-angeles-philharmonic-welcomes-more-3000-local-school-children-first-preview-of-new-walt |date=18 June 2015 }}.</ref>

''Earth Concerto for stone and ceramic percussion and orchestra'' (2009) draws from Gustav Mahler's ''[[Das Lied von der Erde]] (The Song of the Earth)'', which in turn draws from the poetry of Li Po. Ceramic instruments include percussion instruments similar to those Tan Dun had used in previous works, as well as wind instruments and xun.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Earth Concerto for stone and ceramic percussion with orchestra (2009)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/37675.</ref>

===Symphonies, concertos, and chamber works===
In the mid-1990s, Tan Dun began working on another series of orchestral works known as the ''Yi'' series, named for the ''[[I Ching]]'' (Yi Jing in pinyin). Each numbered work in the series builds upon the original, ''Yi°: Concerto for Orchestra'' (published 2002), by adding a solo instrument. The first concerto in the series, ''Yi1: Intercourse of Fire and Water'' (1994), was written for and premiered by cellist [[Anssi Karttunen]].<ref>Anssi Karttunen. "Repertoire for cello and orchestra." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.karttunen.org/repertoire2.html.</ref> The second work, ''Yi2: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra'' (1996), combines [[flamenco]] and [[pipa]] techniques and was premiered by [[Sharon Isbin]].<ref>Sharon Isbin. "Orchestral Repertoire." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.sharonisbin.com/repertoire.html.</ref>

Originally titled ''[[Secret Land]]'', Tan Dun wrote a concerto for 12 solo cellos and orchestra called ''Four Secret Roads of Marco Polo'' (2004). Commissioned and premiered by the [[Berlin Philharmonic]], the work is a musical exploration of the [[Silk Road]]. To achieve these sounds, the cello soloists employ sitar and pipa techniques.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Four Secret Roads of Marco Polo (2004)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33580.</ref><ref>Die 12 Cellisten der Berliner Philharmoniker. "Repertoire: Compositions." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.die12cellisten.de/en/repertoire/compositions.</ref>

Tan Dun wrote a concerto for [[Lang Lang]] titled ''Piano Concerto: "The Fire"'' (2008), a commission by the [[New York Philharmonic]].<ref>Music Sales Group. "Piano Concerto: The Fire (2008)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/36247.</ref> The concerto is reportedly inspired by the composer's love for martial arts, and the soloist is instructed to play certain passages of the music with fists and forearms. Other more tranquil sections evoke ancient Chinese instruments such as the [[guqin]].<ref>[[Anthony Tommasini]], [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/arts/music/11nyph.html "Composer as Celebrity, Musician as Martial Artist"], ''The New York Times'', 11 April 2008, accessed 1 November 2013</ref>

In 2008, Tan Dun was commissioned by [[Google]] and [[YouTube]] to write an inaugural symphony for the [[YouTube Symphony Orchestra]] (YTSO) project. The resultant work, [[Internet Symphony No. 1]] "Eroica", was recorded by the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] and uploaded to YouTube in November 2008, thus beginning the open call for video audition submissions. Voted on by members of the YouTube community as well as professional musicians, the YTSO was assembled of 96 musicians from over 30 countries. In April 2009, a [[mashup (music)|mashup]] video of the submissions was premiered at Carnegie Hall, followed by a live performance of the work.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/symphony/ |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

Tan Dun has also conducted the [[BBC]] Scottish Symphony to record parts of the album ''Away from Xuan'' by fellow composer [[Chen Yuanlin]], released in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Away from Xuan &#124; Innova Recordings |url=https://www.innova.mu/albums/yuanlin-chen/away-xuan |website=www.innova.mu}}</ref>

He composed a [[symphonic poem]] for piano for pianist [[Yuja Wang]] titled "Farewell My Concubine for Peking Opera Soprano and Piano".
<ref name="Wise">{{cite web
|url=https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/54578/Farewell-My-Concubine--Tan-Dun/
|title=Tan Dun Farewell My Concubine (2015)
|access-date=Nov 18, 2022
|publisher=WiseMusicClassical
}}</ref>
The work was commissioned by [[Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra]] and made its world premiere on 31 July 2015 in Xinghai Concert Hall with the orchestra conducted by [[Long Yu]] and Wang as piano soloist.
<ref name="FT">{{cite news
|url=https://www.ft.com/content/ed7efd04-39c6-11e5-bbd1-b37bc06f590c
|title=Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Xinghai Concert Hall, Guangzhou, China — review
|access-date=Nov 18, 2022
|newspaper=The Financial Times
|date=3 August 2015
}}</ref>
<ref name="Wang">{{cite web
|url=https://yujawang.nicerweb.com/2015/
|title=Yuja Wang Archived Concerts – 2015
|access-date=Nov 18, 2022
|publisher=Yuja Wang Archives
}}</ref>

===Theatre-inspired works===
Though not explicitly opera, many of Tan Dun's works borrow operatic elements, in terms of both melody and staging. For example, his violin concerto, ''Out of Peking Opera'' (1987, revised 1994), quotes [[jinghu (instrument)|jinghu]] fiddling music often heard in Peking opera.<ref>Music Sales Group. "Out of Peking Opera (1994)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33572.</ref> Additionally, ''Ghost Opera'' (1994), for [[pipa]] and string quartet, includes minimal sets and lighting. Originally composed on commission for [[Kronos Quartet]] and [[Wu Man]], ''Ghost Opera'' has been performed globally and recorded by Kronos for [[Nonesuch Records]].<ref>Music Sales Group. "Ghost Opera (1994)." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.schirmer.com/composer/work/1561/33560.</ref>

==List of compositions==
Some of the generic classifications included below are Tan Dun's own concepts, including "organic music" and "music ritual." "Organic music" refers to musical works performed on non-traditional instruments, typically involving organic materials such as paper, water, or stone. "Music ritual" refers to works derived from Chinese spiritual traditions.

===Opera===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|rules=yes}}
* ''Marco Polo'' (1995)
* ''Peony Pavilion'' (1998)
* ''Tea: A Mirror of Soul'' (2002)
* ''The First Emperor'' (2006)
* ''Peony Pavilion'' (2010)
{{Div col end}}

===Symphonic works and concertos===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|rules=yes}}
* Self Portrait, from "Death and Fire" (1983)
* On Taoism (1985)
* Out of Peking Opera (1987)
* Death and Fire: Dialogue with Paul Klee (1992)
* Concerto for Pizzicato Piano and Ten Instruments (1995)
* Heaven Earth Mankind: Symphony 1997 (1997)
* Overture: Dragon and Phoenix, from Heaven Earth Mankind (1997)
* Requiem and Lullaby, from Heaven Earth Mankind (1997)
* Song of Peace, from Heaven Earth Mankind (1997)
* Yi1: Intercourse of Fire and Water (1994)
* Yi2: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (1996)
* 2000 Today: A World Symphony for the Millennium (1999)
* Concerto for String Orchestra and Pipa (1999)
* Concerto for String Orchestra and Zheng (1999)
* Yi°: Concerto for Orchestra (2002)
* Four Secret Roads of Marco Polo (2004)
* Piano Concerto: "The Fire" (2008)
* Internet Symphony (2009)
* Symphony for Strings (2009)
* Symphonic Poem on 3 Notes (2011)
* Atonal Rock n' Roll (2012)
* Concerto for Orchestra (2012)
* Percussion Concerto: "The Tears of Nature" (2012)
* Double Bass Concerto: "Wolf Totem" (2015)<ref>Patternroot. [http://patternroot.com/bass-recitals-concerts/wolf-totem-concert-double-bass-dominic-seldis/ "Wolf Totem, Concerto for Double Bass, Dominic Seldis"]. Accessed 29 December 2014</ref>
* Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds (2015)<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/13/arts/music/review-national-youth-orchestra-impresses-with-symphonie-fantastique-at-carnegie-hall.html "Review: National Youth Orchestra Impresses With Symphonie Fantastique at Carnegie Hall"] by [[Anthony Tommasini]]. ''The New York Times'', 12 July 2015.</ref>
* Farewell My Concubine for Peking Opera Soprano and Piano (2015)
{{Div col end}}

===Chamber and solo music===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|rules=yes}}
* Eight Memories in Watercolor, for piano (1978, 2002)
* Eight Colors for String Quartet (1986)
* In Distance (1987)
* Silk Road, for soprano, voice, and percussion (1989)
* Traces, for piano (1989, 1992)
* Elegy: Snow in June, for cello and percussion (1991)
* Circle with Four Trios, Conductor and Audience (1992)
* Lament: Autumn Wind (1993)
* C A G E, for solo piano (1994)
* A Sinking Love, for soprano and 4 [[Viol|violas da gamba]] (1995)
* Concerto for Six (1997)
* Concerto for String Quartet and Pipa (1999)
* Dew Drop Falls, for solo piano (2000)
* Seven Desires for Guitar (2002)
* Secret Land, for 12 cellos (2006)
* Violin Concerto: The Love (2009)
* Chiacone—after Colombi, for solo cello (2010)
* Crouching Tiger Sonata for cello and piano (2016)
{{Div col end}}

===Organic music===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|rules=yes}}
* Water Concerto for water percussion and orchestra (1998)
* Paper Concerto for paper percussion and orchestra (2003)
* Water Music (2004)
* Earth Concerto for stone and ceramic percussion with orchestra (2009)
{{Div col end}}

===Music ritual===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|rules=yes}}
* Nine Songs (1989)
* Orchestral Theatre I: O (1990)
* Orchestral Theatre II: Re (1992)
* Ghost Opera
* Red Forecast (Orchestra Theatre III) (1996)
* The Gate (Orchestral Theatre IV) (1999)
* Buddha Passion (2018)
{{Div col end}}

===Oratorio===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|rules=yes}}
* ''Water Passion'' (2000)
{{Div col end}}

===Movie scores===
* ''[[Don't Cry, Nanking]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Fallen (1998 film)|Fallen]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]'' (2002)
* ''[[The Banquet (2006 film)|The Banquet]]'' (2010)

===Multimedia===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|rules=yes}}
* Crouching Tiger Concerto, for cello and chamber orchestra (2000)
* The Map: Concerto for Cello, Video and Orchestra (2002)
* Hero Concerto (2010)
* The Banquet (2010)
* Martial Arts Cycle (2013)
* Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women (2013)
{{Div col end}}

==Recordings==

===CD===
{| class = "wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
|+Recordings of compositions by Tan Dun
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Performers
! scope="col" | Label
|-
| 1990
| ''Nine Songs: Ritual Opera''
| Crossings Ensemble and Chorus
| [[Composers Recordings, Inc.|CRI]]
|-
| 1993
| ''Snow in June''
| [[Ed Spanjaard]], [[Arditti Quartet]], [[Nieuw Ensemble]], Talujon Percussion Quartet, [[Susan Botti]], Paul Guergerian, [[Keri-Lynn Wilson]], Gillian Benet, [[Anssi Karttunen]]
| [[Composers Recordings, Inc.|CRI]]
|-
| 1994
| ''On Taoism / Orchestral Theatre I / Death and Fire — Dialogue with Paul Klee''
| [[BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra]]
| [[Koch Schwann]]
|-
| 1996
| ''Chinese Traditional and Contemporary Music''
| [[Wu Man]] & Ensemble
| [[Nimbus Records]]
|-
| 1997
| ''Ghost Opera''
| [[Kronos Quartet]], Wu Man, [[George Crumb]]
| [[Nonesuch Records]]
|-
| 1997
| ''Heaven Earth Mankind: Symphony 1997''
| [[Yo-Yo Ma]]
| [[Sony Classical Records|Sony Classical]]
|-
| 1997
| ''Marco Polo: An Opera in an Opera''
| Netherlands Radio Kamerorkest, Cappella Amsterdam
| [[Sony Classical Records|Sony Classical]]
|-
| 1999
| ''Bitter Love'' (selections from Peony Pavilion)
| [[Ying Huang (soprano)|Ying Huang]]
| [[Sony Classical Records|Sony Classical]]
|-
| 1999
| ''2000 Today: A World Symphony for the New Millenium''
| [[BBC Concert Orchestra]]
| [[Sony Classical Records|Sony Classical]]
|-
| 2000
| ''Under the Silver Moon''
| Susan Glaser, Emily Mitchell, Matthew Gold, Stephanie Griffin
| [[Koch International Classics]]
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (soundtrack)|Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]''
| [[Shanghai Symphony Orchestra]], Shanghai National Orchestra, Shanghai Percussion Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma, [[Coco Lee]]
| [[Sony Classical Records|Sony Classical]]
|-
| 2001
| ''Rouse: Concert de Gaudi / Tan Dun: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra''
| [[Sharon Isbin]], [[Muhai Tang]], [[Gulbenkian Orchestra]]
| [[Teldec]]
|-
| 2002
| ''Out of Peking Opera / Death and Fire / Orchestra Theatre II: Re''
| [[Cho-Liang Lin]], Muhai Tang, [[Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| [[Ondine (record label)|Ondine]]
|-
| 2002
| ''Water Passion After St. Matthew''
| [[Maya Beiser]], [[Mark O'Connor]], Elizabeth Keusch, Stephen Bryant, [[RIAS Kammerchor]]
| [[Sony Classical Records|Sony Classical]]
|-
| 2004
| ''Hero'' (soundtrack)
| [[Kodo (taiko group)|Kodo]], You Yan, Liu Li, [[Itzhak Perlman]]
| [[Sony Classical Records|Sony Classical]]
|-
| 2004
| ''Lang Lang: Live at Carnegie Hall'' (includes Tan Dun's ''Eight Memories in Watercolor'')
| [[Lang Lang]]
| [[Deutsche Grammophon|DG]]
|-
| 2006
| ''Majestic Charm''
| [[Singapore Chinese Orchestra]]
| –
|-
| 2006
| ''The Banquet'' (soundtrack)
| –
| –
|-
| 2008
| ''Sticks and Stones: Music for Percussion and Strings'' (features Tan Dun's ''Snow in June'')
| Marjorie Bagley, Roger Braun, Michael Carrera, Kristin Agee, Seth Haines, Joseph van Hassel, Steven Huang
| Equilibrium
|-
| 2008
| ''Tan Dun: Pipa Concerto / Hayashi: Viola Concerto / Takemitsu: Nostalghia''
| [[Roman Balashov]], Wu Man, [[Yuri Bashmet]], Moscow Soloists
| Onyx Classics
|-
| 2011
| ''Bach to Tan Dun'' (includes Tan Dun's ''Eight Memories in Watercolor'')
| Beijing Guitar Duo ([[Su Meng]] & [[Wang Yameng]])
| Tonar Music
|-
| 2011
| ''Martial Arts Trilogy''
| Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, Itzhak Perlman
| [[Sony Classical Records|Sony Classical]]
|-
| 2012
| ''Concerto for Orchestra''
| [[Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| [[Naxos Records]]
|-
| 2015
| ''The Tears of Nature''
| [[Martin Grubinger]]
| –
|}

===DVD===
{{Div col|colwidth=20em|rules=yes}} 
* ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]'' (2001)
* ''Hero'' (2004)
* ''Lang Lang: Live at Carnegie Hall'' (2004)
* ''The Map'' (2004)
* ''[[Tea: A Mirror of Soul]]'' (2005)
* ''The Banquet'' (2006)
* ''[[The First Emperor]]'': Metropolitan Opera (2008)
* ''Marco Polo'' (2009)
* ''Paper Concerto'': Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (2009)
* ''Water Concerto'': Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (2009)
{{Div col end}}

==Awards and honors==
* Second prize at the Dresden International Weber Chamber Music Composition Competition, 1983, ''String Quartet: Feng Ya Song''{{sfn|Hung|2011|p=601}}
* [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Academy Award, Best Original Score]], ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon''<ref name="oscars" />
* [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media|Grammy Award, Best Soundtrack]], ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon''<ref name="grammy" />
* [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Music]], ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon''<ref name="bafta" />
* [[Grawemeyer Award (Music Composition)|Grawemeyer Award, Music Composition]], ''Marco Polo''<ref name="grawemeyer" />
* ''[[Musical America]]'' Composer of the Year, 2003<ref>Columbia Artists Management Inc. "CAMI Joins Musical America in Saluting Deborah Voigt, Vocalist of the Year and Tan Dun, Composer of the Year." 10 December 2002. Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.cami.com/?topic=press&prsid=24.</ref>
* Shostakovich Award, 2012<ref>Pavel Chusovitin, "Tan Dun Was Awarded the Shostakovich Prize," Yuri Bashmet, accessed November 1, 2013, http://bashmet.com/tan-dun-was-awarded-the-shostakovich-prize-photos/?lang=en</ref>
* [[Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg]], 2011<ref>Kulturpreise. "Bach Preis der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg." Accessed November 1, 2013. http://www.kulturpreise.de/web/preise_info.php?cPath=8&preisd_id=1677&kpsid=cffee19d20137019698ad8224ac41f15.</ref>
* [[Duisburger Musikpreis|Musikpreis der Stadt Duisburg]], 2005<ref>Köhler-Osbahr-Stiftung. "Der Musikpreis der Stadt Duisburg." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://www.koehler-osbahr-stiftung.de/musik/musikpreis.htm.</ref>
* The [[Eugene McDermott]] Award in the Arts, 1994<ref>Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts." Accessed 1 November 2013. http://arts.mit.edu/mcdermott/past-recipients/.</ref>
* The [[Glenn Gould Prize|Glenn Gould Protégé prize]], 1996 <ref>Glenn Gould Protégé prize recipients, [https://web.archive.org/web/20121128074302/http://glenngould.ca/protege-prize]</ref>

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Lee |first=Joanna C. |year=2003 |orig-year=2001 |encyclopedia=[[Grove Music Online]] |title=Tan Dun |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.42657 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000042657 |access-date=24 November 2021 }} {{Grove Music subscription}}
* {{cite journal |last=Hung |first=Eric |date=March 2011 |title=Tan Dun Through the Lens of Western Media (Part I) |journal=[[Notes (journal)|Notes]] |volume=67 |issue=3 |pages=601–618 |doi=10.1353/not.2011.0033 |jstor=23012807 |s2cid=191463039 }}

==Further reading==
* {{cite news |last=Barone |first=Joshua |date=23 July 2021 |title=Asian Composers Reflect on Careers in Western Classical Music |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/23/arts/music/asian-composers-classical-music.html }}
* {{cite news |last=Buruma |first=Ian |author-link=Ian Buruma |date=4 May 2008 |title=Of Musical Import |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/magazine/04dun-t.html }}
* {{cite journal |last=Chang |first=Peter |date=Spring–Summer 1991 |title=Tan Dun's String Quartet "Feng-Ya-Song": Some Ideological Issues |journal=[[Asian Music (journal)|Asian Music]] |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=127–158 |jstor=834310 |doi=10.2307/834310 }}
* {{cite news |last=Hong |first=Li |date=22 November 2021 |title=From Stravinsky to Tan Dun, an Everlasting Musical Dialogue Between East and West |work=[[Caixin]] |url=https://www.caixinglobal.com/2021-11-22/from-stravinsky-to-tan-dun-an-everlasting-musical-dialogue-between-east-and-west-101808515.html }}
* {{cite journal |last=Kouwenhoven |first=Frank |date=1 December 1991 |title=Composer Tan Dun: the Ritual Fire Dancer of Mainland China's New Music |journal=[[China Information]] |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=1–24 |doi=10.1177/0920203X9100600301 |s2cid=143370816 }}
* {{cite news |last=O'Mahony |first=John |date=8 September 2000 |title=Crossing continents |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2000/sep/09/classicalmusicandopera }}
* {{cite journal |last=Sheppard |first=W. Anthony |date=Summer 2009 |title=Blurring the Boundaries: Tan Dun's ''Tinte'' and ''The First Emperor'' |journal=[[The Journal of Musicology]] |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=285–326 |jstor=10.1525/jm.2009.26.3.285 |doi=10.1525/jm.2009.26.3.285 }}
* {{cite news |last=Swed |first=Mark |date=5 January 1998 |title=Opera On The Edge |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-05-ca-5106-story.html }}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0241753}}

{{Tan Dun}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Tan Dun
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestOriginalScore 1981-2000}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Original Music}}
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score}}
{{Georges Delerue Award}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media}}
{{GrawemeyerAwardMusicComposition}}
{{Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Classical music|Opera|Biography|Music}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tan, Dun}}
[[Category:Columbia University School of the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century classical composers]]
[[Category:20th-century classical composers]]
[[Category:20th-century Chinese composers]]
[[Category:Chinese film score composers]]
[[Category:Male film score composers]]
[[Category:Best Original Music BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Georges Delerue Award winners]]
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Chinese conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Chinese classical composers]]
[[Category:Chinese male classical composers]]
[[Category:Members of the Committee of 100]]
[[Category:Musicians from Changsha]]
[[Category:Chinese opera composers]]
[[Category:Male opera composers]]
[[Category:City of Toronto's Glenn Gould Protégé Prize winners]]
[[Category:20th-century male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century male musicians]]