Met star brings Confucian ideal to recital

Jazzing up Beijing

"In such a hard time for classical music, it's difficult or impossible for young, unknown composers to find orchestras to play their works," he says.

Judge Tan Lihua, conductor of Beijing Symphony Orchestra, was pleased that he and his musicians played three concerts to present the applicants' works. "A musician's career always starts from being discovered, supported and promoted. When I was young, I received support from many established musicians. Now it's my duty and responsibility to help support others," Tan says.

Judge Xu Shuya, composer and president of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, says the young composers' scores are full of passion and remind him of his youth studying in France.

"To me, styles and techniques are not the criteria. I would see the message they try to convey, the creativity and whether the work would inspire the future," Xu says.

Joel Bons, founder and artistic director of the Nieuw Ensemble, says the six final works have a wide variety in styles and musical languages.

Bons traveled through China in 1988 and became acquainted with a new generation of Chinese composers, including Xu and another jury member, Guo Wenjing.

He has been intrigued by the way Chinese composers are fascinated by the relationship between music and nature, and how they narrate stories through music. "Today's young composers inherit the tradition," he says. "In their music, people can hear insects, seasons, wind and rivers."

Listen to the works of the winners here

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