Event Title
The Fusion of the East and West in Zhou Long’s Piano Music
Performer / Ensemble
Xinshuang Jin (Piano)
Date of Publication
3-26-2021
Document Type
Concert
Abstract / Program Notes
Zhou Long (b.1953) is an internationally recognized American-Chinese composer. Because his unique experiences in both eastern and western cultures, his compositions merge the essences of eastern and western musical traditions to transcend cultural and musical boundaries. In the solo piano work Pianobells (2012), Zhou Long combines national style of China such as pentatonic scales and symbolism of Chinese poetry with avant- garde style including glissando inside the piano and clusters, which seamlessly brings together the aesthetic concepts and musical elements of the East and West. Pianobells was inspired by two ancient Chinese poems. The first poetry line Zhou Long refers to is “Upon the Mountains of Plenty, Nine Bells ring with Knowledge of the Frost.” from The Classic of Mountains and Seas, a Chinese classic book from pre-Qin Dynasty (221 to 206 BC). Corresponds the Nine Bells in the first poetry, the music starts in 9/4 meter. The glissando inside the piano and the palm struck in the low registers create deep sound waves imitating the Mighty Bells. The second poem that inspired Zhou Long is called “Listening to Jun, the Monk from Sichuan, Plucking the Transverse Lute.” by the Tang poet Li Bai (701-762). Li Bai used Frost Bells as a symbol for the union of Heaven and Earth in his poetry. Zhou Long uses fast running passages and repetitive chords in the high register in Pianobells to represent “Frost Bells”.
Biography
A native of China, Xinshuang Jin is an active soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician in both Asia and United States. Xinshuang is prolific with a wide range of repertoire and styles, and has successfully given numerous solo concerts and ensemble performances. She won the Honor Student Scholarship from Middle School attached to Shenyang Conservatory of Music and was selected into the Ameri-china International Elite Class of 2010 by world-renowned concert pianist Chu-Fang Huang. Xinshuang received her Bachelor of Music degree from East Tennessee State University and graduated summa cumda laude. Xinshuang received her Master’s Degree from Texas Christian University and she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music in Piano Performance at Florida State University. Apart from her performing and accompanying career, Xinshuang is also a devoted instructor with ten years of teaching experience and works with piano students of a wide age range both in the United States and China. As an educator, she has participated in conferences and given presentations for Music Teachers National Association and Florida State Music Teachers Association. Xinshuang has participated in and performed solo pieces and chamber music at Brevard Music Festival, Heartland Chamber Music Festival, and Chautauqua Music Festival. She also won prizes in various competitions including FSU X. Annual Competition, TMTA Collegiate Piano Solo Competition, TMTA Collegiate Piano Ensemble, II Future Stars International Piano Competition, the North International Music Competition and the V Paderewski International Piano Competition.
Keywords
Piano, Easter and Western musical traditions
Description
10-minute showcase performance
The Fusion of the East and West in Zhou Long’s Piano Music
Zhou Long (b.1953) is an internationally recognized American-Chinese composer. Because his unique experiences in both eastern and western cultures, his compositions merge the essences of eastern and western musical traditions to transcend cultural and musical boundaries. In the solo piano work Pianobells (2012), Zhou Long combines national style of China such as pentatonic scales and symbolism of Chinese poetry with avant- garde style including glissando inside the piano and clusters, which seamlessly brings together the aesthetic concepts and musical elements of the East and West. Pianobells was inspired by two ancient Chinese poems. The first poetry line Zhou Long refers to is “Upon the Mountains of Plenty, Nine Bells ring with Knowledge of the Frost.” from The Classic of Mountains and Seas, a Chinese classic book from pre-Qin Dynasty (221 to 206 BC). Corresponds the Nine Bells in the first poetry, the music starts in 9/4 meter. The glissando inside the piano and the palm struck in the low registers create deep sound waves imitating the Mighty Bells. The second poem that inspired Zhou Long is called “Listening to Jun, the Monk from Sichuan, Plucking the Transverse Lute.” by the Tang poet Li Bai (701-762). Li Bai used Frost Bells as a symbol for the union of Heaven and Earth in his poetry. Zhou Long uses fast running passages and repetitive chords in the high register in Pianobells to represent “Frost Bells”.