Reviews
“Works like…Mr. Zhou’s orchestral piece accomplish two important things: They remind us of how we got from there to here, and they refine that history by paying belated tribute to contributors who might otherwise be forgotten.”
—David Mermelstein, The Wall Street Journal, on Transcend
“The musical language was rich, opulent, luxurious, infinitely varied and, at times, profoundly beautiful…This was a lovely performance of what deserves to become a classic of the cello concerto repertory.”
—Marc Rochester, The Straits Times (Singapore), on Cello Concerto “Flowing Sleeves”
“The [New York] Philharmonic presented the U.S. premiere of a spectacular new piece by Chinese-American composer Zhou Tian…If it hadnʼt been positioned as a curtain-raiser, Zhouʼs Gift would have been a show-stopper. The piece sustains a concise, beautifully ordered narrative, yet is full of surprises. Long Yuʼs tightly focused direction matched Zhouʼs mastery of the colors of the orchestra, turning the performance into a triumph of musical universality as well as fine writing.”
—Jon Sobel, Blogcritics, on Gift
“The 34-year-old composer is among the third generation of Chinese-born composers now impacting American music. Trained at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, New York’s Juilliard School and the University of Southern California, Zhou Tian has studied with some of America’s finest composers, such as Jennifer Higdon. But his music also displays his gift for lyricism and evocative color that may be the result of his Chinese upbringing. Tonal and engaging, it was an ambitious showpiece in four symphonic movements…the slow movement, ‘Indigo,’ was stunning.”
—The Cincinnati Enquirer, on Concerto for Orchestra
“He is unafraid of monumental gestures, but at the same time he wastes nothing, whether notes or our time itself…Zhou’s sense of dissonance is almost rigorous, but he writes so smoothly and naturally that they gave no offense. The orchestra played like they’d known the piece all their lives; the musicians were the most united and expressive I’ve heard in a while…There are always touches of fine craftsmanship. The strings’ luster made me wish I could stop writing and just listen…”
—American Record Guide, on Concerto for Orchestra
“Zhou exhibits both impressive command of writing for orchestra and a distinctive voice. He is able to convey complex and elusive emotions to his listeners, regardless of their level of musical sophistication. The opportunity the Spokane Symphony has given us to sample contemporary concert music shows us that we live in a new Golden Age of musical composition, and fully as worthy of our attention as the great works of the past.”
—The Spokesman-Review, on Rise
“The piece is absolutely beautiful. Zhou evokes a sense of space and timelessness that suits the text perfectly.”
—Fanfare, on Reading an Anthology of Chinese Poems…
“A prime example of 21st-century global multiculturalism.”
—Broad Street Review, on Viaje
“Zhou Tian’s Viaje fused the composer’s Chinese American sensibility with the lore of ancient Spain so convincingly that the exotic flute solos for Stillman sounded like the most natural thing in the world.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer, on Viaje
“a fast, bravura piece that evoked Spain, but not in a conventional way. The syncopation, the colorful writing, and especially the central dialogue between the flute and cello, beautifully rendered, made this a complete pleasure to hear.”
—Reading Eagle, on Viaje
“There is a fascinating blend of Spanish fire and Chinese-American stylistic colours going on here, with romantic expressiveness in the central section framed by animated phrases and rhythmic syncopation – all in all a highly enjoyable piece.”
—Music Web International, on Viaje
“Exotic-sounding with its bright, shimmering Chinese bells and chimes interspersed within a flowing, Western melodic style. Like the 17th century painting which is said to have inspired it, the piece evoked a rich variety of moods, with dark and lush shadows sprinkled with patches of sun and warmth.”
—Orlando Sentinel, on The Palace of Nine Perfections
“The piece was more like an aural response to the beauty and details of the painting. It was almost like a musical interaction as one’s eyes travel along the massive painting (207 x 563cm); and that kept the listeners engaged. It was familiarity in unpredictability.”
—Satoshi Kyo, Paying Patron Perspective (Hong Kong), on The Palace of Nine Perfections
“The first half of the evening [at the Houston Symphony] was an unqualified success. 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. The simplicity of the piece’s was what made it so appealing. The horns proclaim a disjunct melodic statement at the beginning of the work, featuring dissonant leaps and sharp dotted rhythms, and, over the ensuing ten minutes, Zhou proceeds to gradually smooth over these rough edges, ending in a serene cushion of string sound.
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. This was the one work where [conductor] Koenig seem to bask in the sheer color of the orchestra, letting phrases linger nicely. The orchestra played with complete conviction and respect for a new score.”
—ConcertoNet, on A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
“It made for one of the most creative – and most enjoyable – concerts heard at Music Hall this season. Zhou’s [Trace], a CSO commission, opened the concert on a lush, neo-impressionistic note. The work recalls a vanished China, one replaced by industrialization. Concertmaster Timothy Lees was the soloist, giving the work its heart in two aria-like episodes…A playful, folk-like tune inserted toward the end sealed it with nostalgia. Zhou, 30, was present to receive the crowd’s warm applause.”
—The Cincinnati Enquirer, on Trace
“The third movement, ‘D-O-N-E,’ in a stroke of genius, used the Morse code for the word ‘done’ to compose a rhythmic motive that would unify the rest of the composition…The audience approved of the premiere with a standing ovation…It’s a treat when classical music has a subject matter with only a few degrees of separation from the Holland Center itself.”
—Omaha World-Herald on Transcend
“The most compelling part of this concert is the Utah premiere of Transcend by Zhou Tian. This work, commissioned in partnership with thirteen orchestras, celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike that completed the Transcontinental Railroad. Zhou approaches the accomplishment from a poignant angle, relating that thousands of Chinese immigrants lived and died as laborers on the project and for a variety of reasons, their contributions have been overlooked or even denied. Prior to the performance, a video elaborating on that theme is played and this allows the audience to more easily access some of the emotions that Zhou expresses in his composition. The first movement, ‘Pulse,’ is a frenetic depiction of the monumental effort that is punctuated by percussive moments so striking that they bring to mind Alexander Mosolov’s Ironfoundry. ‘Promise,’ the second movement, might have been set in the same tranquility as some of Copland’s quieter moments, but is adorned with Chinese folk songs. The final movement, ‘D-O-N-E,’ puts the Morse Code pattern for this word to music in a triumphant conclusion that recalls the words sent nationwide by telegraph to announce the project’s completion in Utah.”
—Kathryn Olsen, Front Row Review, on Transcend
“Exciting and colorful, it brought out the oneness of sound that this quartet can achieve, whether playing in harmony or in rapid alternation, while also exploring a wide range of sonorities. From lyrical moments to more dazzling perpetual motion sections, the piece and the performers were captivating.”
—New York Concert Review, on Cadence
“Zhou Tian’s Reading an Anthology of Chinese Poems… mixes narration in and out of the instrumental fabric, which in this instance is the Debussian trio of flute, viola, and harp. It’s an unusual but utterly satisfying fusion of French flavors with an American view of a Chinese poem. The interplay is ingenious, at times suggesting a Chinese composer’s quotations of a French composer’s Asian-tinged melodies. The recording is a model of clarity and finely honed balances, and the performers are of a uniformly high level.”
—Fanfare, on Reading an Anthology of Chinese Poems…
“Zhou Tian’s musical setting is the most delicate, lyrical, and beautiful of all the compositions in the Suite and provides a fitting conclusion to the proceedings.”
—Classical Candor, on Reading an Anthology of Chinese Poems…
“Rarely do I listen to a CD of new works and instantly feel that every work/set is not only masterfully crafted but a true masterpiece; these all unquestionably are.”
—Classical Voice of New England, on Reading an Anthology of Chinese Poems…
“Chanticleer continues to inspire the creation of new music. Zhou Tian’s ‘Trade Winds,’ premiered by Chanticleer in Germany in August 2019, exemplifies this. One of the serendipities of having to revise the program was the addition of this cycle, about which Zhou has written: ‘Trade Winds is a song cycle about traveling. It was set to three poems from three poets of three different continents: ‘Trade Winds’ by John Masefield (English, 1878-1967), ‘Fortuitousness’ by Zhimo Xu (Chinese, 1897-1931), and ‘Strange how we can walk’ by Seth Michelson (American, born 1978). The piece finds common ground in the poems, and forms an overarching concept of travel and finding new love. I see it as a cycle of warmth and chicness – a little frequent traveler’s musical reflection.’
This is superb choral writing for any chorus good enough to learn it; it was, of course, sung flawlessly by the ‘eight who persevered.’ Its constantly-shifting tonal center, augmented by a bit of acting, reveals a harmonic palette not unlike a 21st-century Neo-Impressionist painting’s colors. This is a composition that makes me want to hear more from Zhou.”
—Cultural Voice of North Carolina, on Trade Winds
“Equally captivating is Chinese-born Zhou Tian’s Morning After the Deluge (2014), a powerful response to William Turner’s Romantic, proto-Impressionistic painting Light and Colour (Goethe’s Theory) – The Morning after the Deluge – Moses Writing the Book of Genesis. Zhou Tian acknowledges inspiration from Chinese folk dance, but the warm, melodic score—never saccharine—is often reminiscent of mid-20th-century American populist music, as well. Delightful.”
—Fanfare, on Morning After the Deluge
“The night’s opener was more absorbing and substantial than any overture you could name. Trace, by MSU faculty composer Zhou Tian, was a dense, multilayered tapestry of memories and images meant to evoke ancient places and ways of life bulldozed under China’s relentless industrialization…A kaleidoscopic series of carnival outbursts and dance patterns suggested a limitless mosaic of life. The orchestra negotiated a complicated series of twists, turns and shifts in mood with a quiet grace that gave Zhou’s vibrant style an amber glow. Fleeting episodes featured an intricate battery of percussion and a butterfly cloud of woodwinds that flickered distinctly and memorably, despite the bigger forces surging around them.”
—Lansing CityPulse, on Trace
“…ravishing, its second movement a gorgeous, impressionistic wallow. The frenzied final minutes reference both Messaien and Lutosławski, before an unabashedly triumphant tonal close.”
—The Arts Desk (London), on Concerto for Orchestra
“Zhou’s gift for melody was apparent from the first movement, entitled ‘Irises.’ This was the lengthiest movement, opening with an impressionistic-like canvas of lush orchestral sounds and floating themes for the flute, followed by a section of nonstop virtuosities. The bright orchestral colors included the glimmering sounds of harp, glockenspiel, vibraphone and xylophone.
But above all, the concerto was a real showpiece for this flutist, who soared effortlessly through its wide-ranging melodies, runs and trills. The second movement, ‘Capriccio,’ was a scherzo, with syncopated, slightly jazzy rhythms. Stillman’s phrases on flute were echoed in trumpet, a vibrant touch.
Stillman played with mesmerizing artistry in the slow movement, ‘Arioso,’ offering a breathtaking display of arpeggios and communicating with beautiful tone. The movement built to a sumptuous climax. The finale, a ‘Toccata,’ was vibrant and driving.”
—Cincinnati Business Courier, on Flute Concerto
“Making his ISO debut, Austrian Christoph Eberle, superbly guiding its exceptional musicians, opened the concert with A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, an exquisite piece by Zhou Tian. According to Zhouʼs notes in the printed program, his composition is drawn from a Chinese proverb ‘that means a good relationship between two people always takes a thousand years of good prayers to bring about.’ Zhou also says he ‘wanted to write a piece to convey a sense of spiritual bliss.’ In this effort he was thoroughly successful.”
—Examiner, on A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
“The program opened with A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, Zhou Tian’s evocative tone poem inspired by an ancient Chinese proverb that states “it would take a thousand years of prayers to bring about any good relationship.” Commissioned by the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, which premiered it in 2009, the work began with striking drum rolls and brass fanfares. Then, it moved through dramatic expressions of yearning woodwind figures against throbbing strings, gradually reaching its intended Zen-like state of spiritual bliss.”
—Houston Chronicle, on A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
“…a winning collection of vocal chamber works by Pierre Jalbert, Stacy Garrop, Vivian Fung, Lita Grier and Zhou Tian.” – CD of the Week.
—Chicago Tribune, on Billy Collins Suite
“The highlight of this concert was Three Chinese Songs by Zhou Tian. ‘Wind,’ a vocalise accompanied by chords is almost too staccato to be wind, but the singer’s vocal production becomes airy at the end. The color of joy is represented by the liveliness of the antic ‘Yellow Bird’ and is freely sung with relaxed passion and a light tone. The ‘Transience’ of a moment is presented simply, a Capella in the first section, and then with lightly flowing accompaniment. This set, sung in Chinese and accompanied by the composer, was the most relaxed and confident on the program, presented without being over-sung, with text and music most commensurate.”
—Sequenza21, on Three Chinese Songs
“Blowing Westward by Zhou Tian (b. 1981) is a mesmerizing piece based on an impression of a world described by Chinese writer SuTong. The artist seemed to own the piece technically and emotionally as well”
—New York Concert Review, on Blowing Westward
“Zhou is one of those rare composers who, like Jennifer Higdon, one of his teachers, creates music that is accessible and colorful, and begs to be heard over and over.”
—The Morning Call (Pennsylvania)
“Quite good writing. He is going places.”
—Janos Starker, on Rhyme for solo cello