© Photo : Yves de Kermel

Coming from an intellectual family, Qigang Chen (1951) began his musical studies as a child. When in his early teens, he was confronted with the Cultural Revolution and would spend three years locked up in a barracks, undergoing an ’ideological reeducation’. Nonetheless, his passion for music remained unshakeable and, in spite of the social pressure and anti-cultural policy, he pursued his training in composition.

In 1977, Qigang Chen was one of 26 candidates out of two thousand to be accepted into the composition class at the Beijing Central Conservatory. After five years of studies with Luo Zhongrong, in 1983 he stood for the national competition where he came first. As a result, he was the only one in his field to be authorized to go abroad to pursue graduate studies in composition.

Olivier Messiaen’s last student, from 1984 to 1988, he also studied with Ivo Malec, Betsy Jolas, Claude Ballif and Jacques Castérède. His first five years in France allowed him to broaden the scope of his culture and acquire new knowledge about 20th-century music. He discovered IRCAM by working there, wrote works inspired by groups such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain, London Sinfonietta and Ensemble Modern, and won prizes at international composition competitions.

In 1990 a second period began, notable for world travels, which further enrich him and allowed him to gradually grow away from the Paris musical universe.

Amongst his symphonic works, we can mention Reflet d’un temps disparu, for cello and orchestra, first performed by Yo-Yo Ma and the Orchestre National de France; Iris dévoilée, for three women’s voices, three traditional instruments and orchestra, a work commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation and Radio France; and Wu Xing, for orchestra, a finalist at the 2001 Masterprize competition in London.

Qigang Chen is also one of the living contemporary composers who collaborate with Virgin Classics/EMI for his monographic albums.

Elected ’World’s Best Classical Musician in the Chinese Language’ by the Chinese press in 2004 and 2012, he received the SACEM Grand Prize for Symphonic Music in 2005. His new album Extase was named the ’Favourite Contemporary Music’ in 2006 by the Académie Charles Cros. He was appointed musical director for the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, a position that opened up a broader artistic universe.

Krystof Loertsche

-----------------------------------2015

> News

- CD release: Instants d’un opéra de Pékin for piano, by Chen Sa, for the label BIS Records AB (BIS-1974).

-----------------------------------2016

> News

- Composer in residence during the 2015-2016 season at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

- CD release: Enchantements oubliés for orchestra, and Un temps disparu for erhu and orchestra, by the National Symphony Orchestra of Taipei, for the label Naxos (8.570614).

-----------------------------------2018

> News

- Composer in residence at the National Center for Performing Arts of China for the 2017-2018 season.

- Named Artist of the Year 2017 by Beijing Music Festival.

-----------------------------------2019

- CD release of Wu Xing (The Five Elements) for orchestra, by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Long Yu, for the label Deutsche Grammophon - 483 6606.

MONOGRAPHIC RECORDINGS

> 2009 / Virgin Classics 50999 686358 2 4 - Iris dévoilée
IRIS DEVOILEE, for 3 female voices, 3 traditional Chinese instruments and grand orchestra (premiere)
Orchestre National de France - Wu Bixia (soprano) - Ke Luwa (soprano) - Ma Shuai (soprano - voice of the Beijing Opera) - Wang Nan (erhu) - Li Jia (pipa) - Chang Jing (zheng) - Muhai Tang (conductor)
REFLET D’UN TEMPS DISPARU, for cello and orchestra (premiere)
Orchestre National de France - Yo-Yo Ma (cello) - Charles Dutoit (conductor)
WU XING (THE FIVE ELEMENTS), for orchestra (premiere)
Orchestre National de France - Didier Benetti (conductor)

> 2006/ Virgin Classics 0946 344693 2 6
EXTASE, for oboe and orchestra (premiere)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France - Jean-Louis Capezzali (oboe) - Leonard Slatkin (conductor)
YUAN (ORIGINS), for large orchestra
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France - Yves Prin (conductor)
L’ELOIGNEMENT, for string orchestra (premiere)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France - Leonard Slatkin (conductor)

> 1994 / REM Editions REM 311223 - Poème lyrique II - Feu d’ombres - Yuan - Yi
POEME LYRIQUE II, for male voice and 11 musicians
Ensemble instrumental de Ville d’Avray - Ke-Long Shi (voice) - Jean-Louis Petit (conductor)
FEU D’OMBRES, for saxophone soprano and instrumental ensemble
Ensemble instrumental de Ville d’Avray - Fabrice Moretti (saxophone) - Jean-Louis Petit (conductor)
YUAN (ORIGINS), for large orchestra
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France - Yves Prin (conductor)
YI, for clarinet and string quartet
Ensemble instrumental de Ville d’Avray - Jacques Di Donato (clarinet)

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RECORDING WORKS

> 2019 / Deutsche Grammophon 483 6606 - Gateways
WU XING (THE FIVE ELEMENTS), for orchestra
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra - Long Yu (conductor)

> 2016 / Naxos 8.570614 - Enchantements oubliés
ENCHANTEMENTS OUBLIES, for orchestra
UN TEMPS DISPARU, for erhu and orchestra
National Symphony Orchestra of Taipei

> 2015 / BIS Records AB - BIS-1974 - Memories Lost
INSTANTS D’UN OPERA DE PEKIN, for piano
Chen Sa (piano)

> 2011 / Tudor 7157 - Chopin
INSTANTS D’UN OPERA DE PEKIN, for piano
Xiaotang Tan (piano)

> 2011 / Gérard Billaudot Editeur - La voix, palette sonore
IIRIS DEVOILEE, for 3 female voices, 3 traditional Chinese instruments and grand orchestra (excerpt: Virgin Classics 50999 686358 2 4)
Orchestre National de France - Wu Bixia (soprano) - Ke Luwa (soprano) - Ma Shuai (soprano - voice of the Beijing Opera) - Wang Nan (erhu) - Li Jia (pipa) - Chang Jing (zheng) - Muhai Tang (conductor)

> 2008 / Ecstasy Records 801082040225 - Di Xiao Presents
INSTANTS D’UN OPERA DE PEKIN, for piano
Di Xiao (piano)

> 2006 / Reference Recordings RR-106 HDCD - World Keys
INSTANTS D’UN OPERA DE PEKIN, for piano
Joel Fan (piano)

> 2001 / Zebra Records ZEBRA001 - New music from China
POEME LYRIQUE II, for baritone and ensemble
Nieuw Ensemble - Ke-Long Shi (baritone) - Ed Spanjaard (conductor)

> 1999 / Ambitus AMB 97 969 - Ferne Klänge: Neue Musik aus Ostasien
POEME LYRIQUE II, for baritone and ensemble
Detmold Neue Musik Ensemble - Yongping Gao (baritone) - R. Gulikers (conductor)