(b. 1951)
Qigang Chen was born in Shanghai, China in 1951. In 1966 Chen was studying at the Central Conservatory of Music when the Cultural Revolution took place and he became confined for three years. Despite being “ re-educated” by the state during this period, he continued his composition through to the re-opening of the Conservatory in 1977 studying with Luo Zhongrong. As a teacher to Chen for 4 years in 1983, Olivier Messiaen commented on his works “showed real inventiveness”. For two years from 2004, Chen was the composer in residence at the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and has also received commissions from many established orchestras including Stuttgart RSO, Orchsestre Symphonique de Montréal and Radio France. Qigang Chen was chosen as the Director of Music for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony. He then followed this success with ‘Er Huang’, a composition for piano and orchestra with Lang Lang as soloist in the Carnegie Hall in 2009. Chen’s Prom debut came in 2014 with his work ‘Joie Eternelle’ for trumpet and orchestra with soloist, Alison Balsam. Chen premiered two new works with the Hong Kong Philharmonic in 2015 and then latterly in 2017 at the Beijing Music Festival.
Qigang Chen Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Er Huang
Timpani + 4 percussion + celeste
Orchestral bass drum, suspended cymbal, clash cymbals, large tam tam, triangle, vibraphone, glockenspiel, tubular bells - celeste
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Extase II
No Timpani + 4 percussion
Vibraphone, marimba, large suspended cymbal, 30cm Chinese tam tam, Chinese cymbals pair 25cm, Chinese cymbals pair 19cm, orchestral bass drum, 2 cello bows - additional pair of Chinese cymbals 25cm for pianist
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Feu d'Ombres
No Timpani + 4 percussion
Marimba, vibraphone, very large tam tam, suspended cymbal medium, suspended cymbal, large, triangle, wood blocks x 4
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Iris Dévoilée (Iris Unveiled, 2001)
Timpani + 4 percussion + celeste
1) marimba, xylophone, small suspended cymbal, bass bow, 2) vibraphone, small Chinese tam tam, medium suspended cymbal, bass bow, maracas, 3) glockenspiel, 2 octaves crotales, orchestral bass drum, medium suspended cymbal, bass bow, 4) tam tam, large suspended cymbal, bass bow, high wood block, mark tree, medium log drum - celeste
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Jiang Tcheng Tse
No Timpani + 4 percussion
Vibraphone, marimba, orchestral bass drum, large clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, large tam tam
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La joie de la souffrance (The Joy of Suffering)
No Timpani + 4 percussion
Glockenspiel, marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, 2 snare drums, orchestral bass drum, suspended cymbal, maracas, tambourine
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Joie Eternelle (Eternal Joy)
No Timpani + 4 percussion
Glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, 3 wood blocks, xylophone, maracas, suspended cymbal, clash cymbals, mark tree, vibraphone, tam tam
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Luan Tan
Timpani + 5 percussion
Glockenspiel, 5 octave marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, snare drum (with brushes), orchestral bass drum, 2 roto-toms, 3 temple blocks, tambourine, tam tam (with metal beater), large clash cymbals, large suspended cymbal, Chinese clash cymbals (small), wood block
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Ouverture symphonique"Instants d'un Opéra de Pékin"
Timpani + 6 percussion
1) glockenspiel, 4 wood blocks, 2) xylophone, tubular bells, orchestral bass drum (shared with player 6), large clash cymbals, 3) 5 octave marimba, mark tree, 4) vibraphone, 2 cello bows, 5) large suspended cymbal, medium Chinese tam tam, small Chinese tam tam, small Chinese clash cymbals, 6) 3 temple blocks, orchestral bass drum (shared with player 2), large tam tam
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Poème Lyrique II
Timpani + 6 percussion
1) vibraphone, large suspended cymbal, medium suspended cymbal, large tam tam, Chinese tam tam 17cm, Chinese tam tam 35cm, triangle, medium maracas, 4 tom toms, 3 wood blocks (small, medium, large), orchestral bass drum
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Reflet d'Un Temps Disparu
No Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
1) vibraphone, bass bow, large suspended cymbal, snare drum (with metal brushes), 6 temple blocks, 2) glockenspiel, large tam tam, orchestral bass drum, medium suspended cymbal, 6 wood blocks, 3) marimba, medium suspended cymbal, triangle, orchestral bass drum - celeste
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Un Temps Disparu II
No Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
1) vibraphone, large suspended cymbal, snare drum (with metal brushes), 6 temple blocks, 2) glockenspiel, large tam tam, medium suspended cymbal, orchestral bass drum, 6 wood blocks, 3) marimba, medium suspended cymbal, triangle, orchestral bass drum - celeste
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Wu Xing (The Five Elements)
No Timpani + 4 percussion + celeste
1) vibraphone, xylophone, 6 temple blocks, orchestral bass drum, log drum, 2) 5 octave marimba, tubular bells, triangle, 6 wood blocks, log drum, 3) 5 octave marimba, medium suspended cymbal, 6 temple blocks, log drum, 4) glockenspiel, large tam tam, mark tree, bamboo wind chimes, 6 wood blocks, log drum - celeste