World Premiere: Broken Ink
Zhou’s “Broken Ink,” a 30-minute, multi-movement meditation on Song Dynasty poetry, was premiered by Princeton Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Rossen Milanov in May, 2017. “The music was lush, much like a flowing river, and it was clear from the outset that Zhou has a good ear for the orchestral palette,” writes Princeton Town Topics. Zhou’s residency also includes performances of his “Red Trees, Wrinkled Cliffs” led by award-winning guitarist Robert Belinić.
The Grand Canal in Columbus
Zhou “rewarded with a standing ovation” (The Columbus Dispatch) for his “Grand Canal,” performed by The Columbus Symphony and Music Director Rossen Milanov in the orchestra’s East Meets West Festival at Ohio Theatre in Columbus, OH. in May 2017. The 6-movement, 30-minute work celebrates one of the oldest and longest man-made waterways in the world, the Grand Canal of China, through a mosaic of sounds, old and new, and by mixing two traditional Chinese instrumentalists (erhu and ruan) and a Chinese opera singer/narrator with a full symphony orchestra. The piece was previously performed during a nationally televised celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and its recording highlighted at MIDEM in Cannes, France.
World premiere: Petals of fire
Petals of Fire premieres at 2017 CBDNA National Conference at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City, Missouri, by the Michigan State University Wind Symphony, conducted by Music Director Kevin Sedatole.
European Premiere: The Grand Canal
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra’s Chinese New Year Concert features The Grand Canal for two Chinese traditional instruments, Chinese opera singer/narrator and full orchestra. The program, conducted by Jiamin Song, took place at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland.
New Recording: Concerto for Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony led by music director Louis Langrée releases Zhou’s Concerto for Orchestra in the latest recording, along with works by Thierry Escaich and Sebastian Currier.
“Stunning,” “tonal and engaging, it was an ambitious showpiece in four symphonic movements.” —The Cincinnati Enquirer
“He is unafraid of monumental gestures, but at the same time he wastes nothing, whether notes or our time itself. There are always touches of fine craftsmanship. The strings’ luster made me wish I could stop writing and just listen.” —American Record Guide
Curtis on tour
Curtis On Tour, featuring Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux, violinist Nigel Armstrong, violist and president Roberto Díaz, and cellist Jean Kim, performs Zhou’s commissioned work Red Trees, Wrinkled Cliffs in Athens, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
World Premiere: Concerto for Orchestra
Zhou’s Concerto for Orchestra, described as “Stunning,” “tonal and engaging,” (the Cincinnati Enquirer) premieres at the Cincinnati Symphony’s 2015-16 Season Finale conducted by Music Director Louis Langrée.
new post at MSU
Zhou appointed Associate Professor of Composition at Michigan State University College of Music.
World Premiere: Viaje
Flutiest Mimi Stillman and Dover Quartet premiered “Viaje” (Spanish for voyage) at the Curtis Institute.
“Experiencing Spain for the first time and learning about the stories of Spanish legend El Cid inspired me to compose this 9-minute thrill ride. I was particularly drawn to the relationship between El Cid and his two daughters as they went through an innocent childhood, separation, distrust, and finally, reunion. I imagined the flute as the voice of the daughters, and the cello as the voice of their father. A musical dialogue between the two emerges in the middle of the piece, as if recalling a long-overdue conversation between father and daughters. It wasn’t until the piece was finished that I realized that I had unconsciously married my musical roots as a Chinese-American with my new found love of Spanish music.” (program note)
Viaje was commissioned by Dolce Suono Ensemble, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
World Premiere: Trace
The Cincinnati Symphony conducted by Mei-Ann Chen premieres Zhou’s “Trace,” a CSO commission. The 15-minute work, conceived to be a modern day Scheherazade, features prominent, heart-warming solos from the concertmaster and tells a fascinating story of a disappearing past. The Cincinnati Enquirer describes the work as “lush, neo-impressionistic,” and “one of the most creative – and most enjoyable – concerts heard at Music Hall this season…Zhou, 30, was present to receive the crowd’s warm applause.”
US Premiere: The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal receives US premiere by Princeton Symphony and guest soloists under Rossen Milanov at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton, NJ. Commissioned by the city of Hangzhou in a cultural effort to promote the Grand Canal of China to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 30-minute work calls for two traditional Chinese instruments, Chinese opera narrator, and full orchestra.
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers at Houston
The Houston Symphony under Christoph Köenig performs Zhou’s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers in a program of Schubert Mass No. 3 and Brahms Symphony No. 2. ConcertoNet writes “Zhou Tian’s attractive A Thousand Years of Good Prayers effectively communicated the goals of the composer, which he eloquently and succinctly described from stage…Zhou’s harmonic language and orchestration mix Ravel and Barber with a hint of his native China, albeit without the edgy grit of Chen Yi or flamboyant theatricality of Tan Dun. Still, the piece feels first and foremost like an honest musical utterance, which is important in today’s day and age.”
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers at ISO
The Indianapolis Symphony performs Zhou’s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers conducted by Christoph Eberle in a program of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 and Violin Concerto played by Joshua Bell.
Hong Kong premiere
Hong Kong Philharmonic led by Rossen Milanov performs Zhou’s The Palace of Nine Perfections in a program of Dvorak’s “Nature, Life and Love” and Brahms Violin Concerto played by Vadim Repin.
The Grand Canal
Zhou Tian’s The Grand Canal symphonic suite performed during a nationally televised celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Commissioned by the city of Hangzhou in a cultural effort to promote the Grand Canal of China to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the large-scale, 7-movement work calls for two Chinese instruments, Chinese opera narrator, mixed chorus and full orchestra.
First sight in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Meyer performs Zhou’s First Sight at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA.
The Minnesota Orchestra
The Minnesota Orchestra commissions Zhou Tian for a new work in celebration of the orchestra’s centennial. Zhou previously participated in the orchestra’s Composers Institute with The Palace of Nine Perfections, conducted by Music Director Osmo Vänskä.