Zhou Long facts for kids

Zhou Long (simplified Chinese: 周龙; traditional Chinese: 周龍; pinyin: Zhōu Lóng) is a famous Chinese American composer. He was born on July 8, 1953. In 2011, he won the important Pulitzer Prize for Music.

The Life of Zhou Long

Early Years and Musical Journey

Zhou Long was born in Beijing, China. He came from a family that loved art, so he started learning to play the piano when he was very young. However, during a time called the Cultural Revolution, art and music were restricted. This meant he had to stop his piano lessons. Instead, he lived on a state farm and even drove a tractor. The empty landscapes and strong winds he saw during this time made a big impact on him. These experiences still influence his music today.

As the Cultural Revolution ended, Zhou Long was able to go back to his music studies. He learned about composing music, music theory, conducting, and traditional Chinese music. In 1977, just one year after the Cultural Revolution finished, he was one of only 100 students chosen to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. This was a huge achievement, as 18,000 people applied! He studied composition there until 1983.

Moving to America and New Adventures

After finishing his studies in China, Zhou Long worked as a composer for the National Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra of China. Soon after, he received a special scholarship to go to the Columbia University in the United States. There, he continued to study composition and earned a special degree in 1993.

While living in Brooklyn, New York, he became the music director for a group called Music From China. This group was started in 1984 to share traditional Chinese music in the United States. Under Zhou Long's leadership, Music From China also began to perform new music that mixed both Chinese and Western sounds.

Awards and Recognition

Zhou Long has held many important positions. In 2002, he was a composer-in-residence for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra's Silk Road Project Festival, working with famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma. He is currently a distinguished professor of composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. He has also taught at many other top music schools.

In 1999, Zhou Long received the ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award. This award recognized his unique and daring musical choices. His biggest achievement came in 2011 when he won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He won it for his opera, Madame White Snake, which was first performed in 2010. Zhou Long became a citizen of the United States in 1999. He is married to another talented composer and violinist, Chen Yi.

In July 2017, the National Youth Orchestra of China performed Zhou Long's piece "The Rhyme of Taigu." They played it at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City, and the show was completely sold out!

Zhou Long's Musical Style

Blending Cultures in Music

Zhou Long is part of a group of Chinese composers, including Tan Dun, Bright Sheng, and Chen Yi. They all studied music in China after the Cultural Revolution. Then, they came to the United States to continue their education. Here, they learned to combine elements from their Chinese heritage with new Western musical ideas.

Zhou Long sees himself as both a Chinese and an American composer. He uses influences from both cultures to create new and exciting sounds. When he first came to the United States, the different music culture helped him explore his own musical voice. He expanded his ways of composing and developed a unique musical language.

He once said, "I have been composing music seriously to achieve my goal of improving the understanding between peoples from various backgrounds. My ideas often come from ancient Chinese poetry." This means he uses ideas from both cultures' sounds and traditions. He also uses different types of media and technology in his work.

How He Creates Music

Zhou Long explains his creative process: "Verses of poetry may give you the frame; the movements of calligraphy may give you the rhythm; an ancient dark ink painting may give you space, distance and layers; a variety of sound sources may give you the color. Finally, craft ensures your own full expression."

He works to capture Chinese timbres (the unique sound quality of an instrument or voice) and folk themes. Then, he mixes them with Western ideas of harmony (how notes sound good together), chromaticism (using all the notes in the scale), and angularity (sharp, sudden changes in music). He often takes familiar sounds and tunes, then changes them using dissonances (notes that sound clashing) and surprising twists.

Images for kids

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  Zhou Long with conductor Ludovic Morlot and the National Youth Orchestra of China receiving applause for a performance of his original composition "The Rhyme of Taigu" at Carnegie Hall on July 22, 2017.

See also

In Spanish: Zhou Long para niños