This 2018 “Buddha Passion” by Chinese-American composer Tan Dun, released by Decca, doesn’t feature much of the Buddha. He only appears as at the very beginning and at the end. Then again, Siddhartha Gautama doesn’t have the same centrality in Buddhism that Jesus does in Christianity. As the Buddha himself tells his disciples in Tan’s work, he is neither a {…}
The University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music has unveiled its 2023-24 season. Here is a rundown of the vocal performances. The season opens with a concert starring soprano Leah Crocetto. The showcase, which will be conducted by Douglas Kinney Frost, will include the world premiere of Clarice Assad’s “Baião n’ Blues,” Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and Brahms’ {…}
This week audiences can hear a world premiere recording as well as rarely performed works. There are also two complete opera recordings. Richard Flury: Four Song-Cycles Stephanie Buhmann and Margaret Singer perform Richard Flury’s song cycles in a new album for Toccata Classics. The output of Richard Flury, one of Switzerland’s most prolific composers, ranges from operas and ballets to {…}
Decca Classics has signed the Oscar winner composer and conductor Tan Dun. In a statement, Tan Dun said, “Decca has always been a dream for me. As a young artist, I could never have imagined that one day we would embrace each other. I’ve worked with many recording labels over the years, but now, connecting with Decca, I understand. It {…}
Tan Dun is arguably the most famous and influential Chinese composer, having written numerous operas such as “The First Emperor,” “Marco Polo,” “The Peony Pavilion,” and “Tea: A Mirror of Soul.” He has also written film scores (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), organic music, and several classical and symphonic works. And now, there’s “Buddha Passion.” Inspired by the famed Chinese composer’s {…}
The London Philharmonic is set to perform Tan Dun’s “Buddha Passion” on Jan. 22, 2023 at the Southbank Centre. The composer himself will conduct the performance, which will feature soprano Sen Guo, mezzo-soprano Huiling Zhu, tenor Kang Wang, and bass-baritone Shenyang. There will also be two indigenous singers who will be announced at a later date. They will be joined {…}
The Ojai Music Festival, its Music Director, two-time Grammy Award-winner Rhiannon Giddens, and Festival Artistic and Executive Director Ara Guzelimian have shared the initial programming highlights for the upcoming Festival, which will include over 18 music events featuring a wide range of contemporary classical vocal and operatic works. The 77th edition of the Festival will be held from June 8-11, {…}
The Seattle Symphony has announced several cast changes for its upcoming performances of Tan Dun’s “Buddha Passion” on Nov. 10 and 12, 2022. Due to COVID-19 and quarantine requirements in China, five of the artists will be unable to appear in the performances. Per a press release, Lei Xiu, Megan Moore, Yi Li, and Elliot Madone will replace Sen Guo, {…}
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has announced the programming for their annual Music in the Summer Air (MISA) Festival. Running From July 10-24, 2021, the festival will see 23 concerts held in Shanghai Symphony Hall’s Concert Hall, Chamber Hall, Urban Music Lawn, and Yellow Lounge China’s TRI venue. For this article, we will focus exclusively on vocal performances. A full listing of {…}
One of the great modern Asian composers to have a major impact on the opera world is Tan Dun. Noted for his wide-ranging compositional style, he has also mastered the operatic form over the past 30 years. In this week’s quiz, we take stock of his work in opera. We present you with a statement and you must match it {…}
Tan Dun is set to world premiere his new opera “Buddha Passion” at the Dresden Music Festival this coming May 23, 2018. The work is a joint commission by the Dresdner Musikfestspiele, the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and will be sung in Chinese and Sanskrit. The work is written for seven soloists, {…}