Complete solo piano works of Zhou Long

Zhou Long is a contemporary composer of Chinese American descent, who belongs to a generation of Chinese composers that began introducing traditional Chinese music to western audiences. He gained international recognition after receiving the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for his opera, Madame White Snake (2011). Very few performances, recordings, and publications currently exist on Zhou’s piano music, and this doctoral lecture recital is the first time an artist has performed the complete collection of Zhou’s solo piano pieces. The pieces include: Mongolian Folk- Tune Variations, Wu Kui, Pianogongs, and Pianobells. In his piano music, Zhou makes use of unconventional extended piano techniques, imitates and evokes Chinese traditional instruments, and likes to make connections with other art genres. Also, the prominence of percussive elements in Zhou’s music is of a great importance. In this lecture recital, the author has mainly focused on 1) the background information of Zhou Long and his solo piano works; 2) the influence of Chinese traditional instruments, ancient literatures and aesthetic concepts, in addition to folk elements on his piano music; 3) how the composer combined those elements with western music and compositional skills; and 4) the exploration of the percussive usage of the piano along with various sound effect. Much of the discussion were from the author’s own observations; it also include insights from an interview the author conducted with the composer. Through the combined presentation of the lecture and performance of Zhou Long’s four piano pieces, the author intended to help bring exposure to his piano works, and to serve as a guide for piano students and teachers interested in exploring Zhou’s piano music.