Bright Sheng (1955- )
Bright Sheng has been called "a fresh voice in cross-cultural music" and "an innovative
composer who merges diverse musical customs in works that transcend
conventional aesthetic boundaries". Born in Shanghai,
China, Sheng began piano studies
at the age of four with his mother. After the cultural revolution, he
moved to New York in l982, and received his MA and DMA. Sheng's
teachers include: Leonard Bernstein (composition and conducting),
George Perle, Hugo Weisgall, Chou Wen-Chung, and Jack Beeson. His music
is published exclusively by G. Schirmer, and his works are recorded
Sony, BIS, Delos, Koch International, New World Records and Naxos.
Since 1995, Bright Sheng has been a member of the composition faculty
at the University of Michigan, where now serves as Leonard Bernstein
Distinguished University Professor of Music. Sheng's compositions are
noted for their lyrical, limpid melodies inspired by the folk music of
China, a Bartokian sense of rhythmic propulsion, and musical and
theatrical gestures borrowed or derived from Chinese opera. Sheng's
importance in the international music community is evidenced by the
numerous commissions he has received: from Emanuel Ax and the
Boston Symphony; the NDR Symphony Orchestra; the Brooklyn
Philharmonic; the NewYork Philharmonic; and the Seattle
Symphony. In the chamber music world, Sheng's works have been
commissioned and performed by such musicians as Yo-Yo Ma, the Verdehr
Trio, the Shanghai String Quartet, Peter Serkin, and the Chamber Music
Society of Lincoln Center. In addition to composing, Sheng enjoys an
active career as a conductor and concert pianist, and frequently serves
as music advisor and artistic director to orchestras and festivals.
Since 1998, Sheng has been the Artistic Advisor to the "Silk Road
Project," an international program created by Yo-Yo Ma that identifies,
archives, and interprets musical traditions of the Far Eastern trade
routes.- Boston Modern Orchestra Project
COMPOSITIONS Sheng Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Sheng on Sheng
Two Poems from the Sung Dynasty, soprano and orchestra or 13 players (1985)
Three Pieces for Viola and Piano (1986)
Three Etudes, flute (1982-88)
H’un (Lacerations): In Memoriam 1966-1976, orchestra (1988)
The Stream Flows, viola (1988)
Three Chinese Love Songs, soprano, viola and piano (1988)
Two Folk Songs from Qinghai, chorus and orchestra or 2 pianos and 2 percussionists (1989)
My Song, piano (1989)
Four Movements for Piano Trio (1990)
The Stream Flows, in 2 movements, violin (1990)
Three Chinese Poems, mezzo-soprano and piano(1982-92)
The Song of Majnun, opera in one act (1992)
Fanfare for Orchestra (1992)
Fragments from ‘The Song of Majnun’, soprano, tenor, chorus and chamber orchestra (1992)
String Quartet No. 3 (1993)
Prelude for Orchestra (1994)
Concertino for Clarinet & String Quartet (1994)
Seven Yadhtrib Variations, bassoon (1994)
China Dreams, orchestra (1995)
Seven Tunes Heard in China, cello (1995)
May I Feel - An Opera in Seven Minutes, soprano, tenor and piano 4-hands (1996)
A Tune from Childhood, clarinet (1996; arr. for alto sax, 2003)
The Silver River, a music theater in two acts (1997)
Postcards, flute and piccolo and chamber orchestra (1997)
Spring Dreams, cello and orchestra of traditional Chinese instruments (1997) (arr. for violin and trad. instr orch, 1998)
Two Poems, cello and orchestra (1998)
Two Chinese Folk Tunes, children's chorus (nonsense syllables, in 2 parts) and children's string orchestra (1998)
Flute Moon, solo piccolo-flute, harp, piano, timpani, percussion and string orchestra (1999)
Red Silk Dance, capriccio for piano and orchestra (1999)
Three Songs, pipa and cello (1999)
Nanking! Nanking!, a threnody for orchestra and pipa (2000)
String Quartet No. 4, "Silient Tample" (2000)
Tibetan Dance, violin, clarinet and piano (2001)
Distant Birthday Bells, piano (2001)
Tibetan Swing, orchestra (2002)
Madame Mao, opera in two acts (2003)
The Song and Dance of Tears, sheng, pipa, violoncello, piano and orchestra (2003)
Boatmen’s Song, children’s choir or women’s chorus, percussion and harp (2003)
Three Tunes for Pipa and Erhu (2003)
Variation Fugato, piano (2003)
Colors of Crimson, fantasy for marimba and orchestra (2004)
Little Cabbage - a duet for Clarinet and Bass Clarinet (2004)
The Phoenix, soprano and orchestra (2004) [inspired and based on a short story by Han Christian Andersen]
La’i, orchestra without strings, or band (2005)
A Night at the Chinese Opera, violin and piano (2005)
Three Fantasies, violin and piano (2005)
The Nightingale and the Rose, ballet (2006)
Zodiac Tales, Concerto for Orchestra (2006)
Wild Swan, concerto for clarinet and orchestra (2006)
Olympic Overture, orchestra (2007)
Shanghai Overture, orchestra (2007)
String Quartet No. 5 "Miraculous" (2007)
Sweet May Again, doublebass and piano (2007)
My Other Song, piano (2007)
Never Far Away, harp and orchestra (2008)
WORKS BY GENRE Sheng Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Song of Majnun, opera in one act (1992)
May I Feel - An Opera in Seven Minutes, soprano, tenor and piano 4-hands (1996)
The Silver River, a music theater in two acts (1997)
Madame Mao, opera in two acts (2003)
The Nightingale and the Rose, ballet (2006)
Orchestra
H’un (Lacerations): In Memoriam 1966-1976, orchestra (1988)
Fanfare for Orchestra (1992)
Prelude for Orchestra (1994)
China Dreams, orchestra (1995)
Tibetan Swing, orchestra (2002)
La’i, orchestra without strings (2005)
Zodiac Tales, Concerto for Orchestra (2006)
Olympic Overture, orchestra (2007)
Shanghai Overture, orchestra (2007)
Band
La’i, band (2005)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Postcards, flute and piccolo and chamber orchestra (1997)
Two Poems, cello and orchestra (1998)
Flute Moon, solo piccolo-flute, harp, piano, timpani, percussion and string orchestra (1999)
Red Silk Dance, capriccio for piano and orchestra (1999)
Nanking! Nanking!, a threnody for orchestra and pipa (2000)
The Song and Dance of Tears, sheng, pipa, violoncello, piano and orchestra (2003)
Colors of Crimson, fantasy for marimba and orchestra (2004)
Wild Swan, concerto for clarinet and orchestra (2006)
Never Far Away, harp and orchestra (2008)
Orchestra for Chinese Traditional Instruments
Spring Dreams, cello and orchestra of traditional Chinese instruments (1997) (arr. for violin and trad. instr orch, 1998)
Chorus w/Orchestra
Two Folk Songs from Qinghai, chorus and orchestra or 2 pianos and 2 percussionists (1989)
Fragments from ‘The Song of Majnun’, soprano, tenor, chorus and chamber orchestra (1992)
Two Chinese Folk Tunes, children's chorus (nonsense syllables, in 2 parts) and children's string orchestra (1998)
Choral
Two Folk Songs from Qinghai, chorus and orchestra or 2 pianos and 2 percussionists (1989)
Boatmen’s Song, children’s choir or women’s chorus, percussion and harp (2003)
Chamber
Four Movements for Piano Trio (1990)
String Quartet No. 3 (1993)
Concertino for Clarinet & String Quartet (1994)
Three Songs, pipa and cello (1999)
String Quartet No. 4, "Silient Tample" (2000)
Tibetan Dance, violin, clarinet and piano (2001)
Three Tunes for Pipa and Erhu (2003)
Little Cabbage - a duet for Clarinet and Bass Clarinet (2004)
String Quartet No. 5 "Miraculous" (2007)
Solo Instrument
Three Pieces for Viola and Piano (1986)
Three Etudes, flute (1982-88)
The Stream Flows, viola (1988)
The Stream Flows, in 2 movements, violin (1990)
Seven Yadhtrib Variations, bassoon (1994)
Seven Tunes Heard in China, cello (1995)
- Seasons; Guessing Song; Little Cabbage; The Drunken Fisherman; Diu Diu Dong; Pastoral Ballade; Tibetan Dance
A Tune from Childhood, clarinet (1996; arr. for alto sax, 2003)
A Night at the Chinese Opera, violin and piano (2005)
Three Fantasies, violin and piano (2005)
Sweet May Again, doublebass and piano (2007)
Piano
My Song, piano (1989)
Distant Birthday Bells, piano (2001)
Variation Fugato, piano (2003)
My Other Song, piano (2007)
Vocal
Two Poems from the Sung Dynasty, soprano and orchestra or 13 players (1985)
Three Chinese Love Songs, soprano, viola and piano (1988)
Three Chinese Poems, mezzo-soprano and piano(1982-92)
May I Feel - An Opera in Seven Minutes, soprano, tenor and piano four-hands (1996)
The Phoenix, soprano and orchestra (2004) [inspired and based on a short story by Han Christian Andersen]
SHENG LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Bright Lights on a Powerful Woman (James L. Paulk, New Music Connoisseur)
Bright Sheng's A Night at the Chinese Opera (Elaine Fine, Musical Assumptions)
Bright Sheng and Yolanda Kondonassis Interview (Telarc Records)
Bright Sheng's "Madame Mao" Powerful, Courageous and Bold ( Janelle Gelfand, The Cincinnati Enquirer)
Bright Sheng's Selected Chamber Music for Strings (Mei-Mei Wei, Louisiana State Univ.)
Bright Sheng's "The Phoenix" (Melinda Bargreen, The Seattle Times)
Composer Bright Sheng Tours with the Asian Youth Orchestra (Verna Yu, Andante.com)
Focus On: Bright Sheng (Ken Smith, Carnegie Hall)
An Interview with Bright Sheng (Roberta Zlokower, Roberta on the Arts)
Madame Mao at the Opera - Bright Sheng Interview (Jeffery Brown, PBS/Online NewsHour)
Music Professor Bright Sheng Receives MacArthur Award (Dana Fair, Univ. of Michigan)
Never Far Away (review) (Valerie Scher, San Diego New Network)
New York City Ballet Names Bright Sheng First-Ever Composer in Residence
New York City Ballet's Christopher Wheeldon and Bright Sheng: A Collaboration (Roberta Zlokower, Roberta on the Arts)
San Diego Symphony Premieres Bright Sheng's "Never Far Away" (Kenneth Herman, San Diego Arts)
Sheng Work Lets Symphony Tap Into Class of '78 (Janice Steinberg, San Diego Union Tribune)
Taking a Musical Career Risk Into Thin Air (Diane Haithman, The Los Angeles Times)
Unraveling the Musical Canon: My Song by Bright Sheng (Wendy Wan-ki Lee, SUNY at Binghamton)
Composer's website
Sheng @ Wikipedia
Sheng @ AllExperts
Sheng @ Answers.com also here
Sheng @ Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Young People's Concerts Guide
Sheng @ Audiophile Audition
Sheng @ Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Sheng @ Carnegie Hall also here
Sheng @ Choral Music in the Twentieth Century (Nick Strimple, Amadeus Pr, books.google.com)
Sheng @ Classical Archives
Sheng @ Classical Composers Database
Sheng @ Classical Net
Sheng @ ClassicsToday
Sheng @ composition:today
Sheng @ Dilettante Music
Sheng @ Eastern Music Festival
Sheng @ Facebook
Sheng @ familia2000.net
Sheng @ The Flying Inkpot
Sheng @ InstantEncore
Sheng @ Chris Younghoon Kim
Sheng @ The Living Composer Project
Sheng @ MusicWeb International
Sheng @ NationMaster
Sheng @ Naxos
Sheng @ New World Records also here
Sheng @ The New York Times
Sheng @ W.W. Norton
Sheng @ W.W. Norton/The Enjoyment of Music
Sheng @ NYJPW Chinese-American Arts & Culture Association
Sheng @ San Diego Weekly Reader
Sheng @ G. Schirmer
Sheng @ University of Michigan also The Bright Cheng Collection
Check also - Music Sage http://www.musicsage.org/
Streaming Audio
Sheng @ Carnegie Hall
Sheng @ Classical Archives
Sheng @ last.fm
Sheng @ Naxos/Podcast Interview
Sheng @ W.W. Norton
Sheng @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Sheng @ Rhapsody
Recordings
Sheng @ ArkivMusic
Sheng @ ClassicsOnline
Sheng @ YouTube
Sheng on Sheng: Uncommon Sense - Interview with Junia Doan
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