Chou Wen chung

Chou Wen-chung was a Chinese American composer, educator and cultural ambassador. He was also a student of Edgard Varèse and later his literary executor. Chou Wen-chung taught at Columbia University and was the founding director of the Center for US-China Arts Exchange. He was one of the first Chinese composers who attempted to translate authentic East Asian melo-rhythms into the terms of modern Western music. He developed his own theory of Variable Modes, influenced by concepts found in the theories of Yin-yang and the I Ching, Daoism, brush calligraphy and qin music, as well as early and modern European theories. He composed works for orchestra, chamber ensemble and solo instruments, often incorporating elements of traditional Chinese aesthetics and musical idioms. His works have been performed by prominent orchestras and ensembles around the world, and he has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to music and cultural exchange. He also mentored many acclaimed composers from different cultural backgrounds, such as Tan Dun, Zhou Long, Chen Yi and Bright Sheng. He was a visionary who foresaw a flourishing of creative output, benefitting from a confluence of many cultures, but grounded in an understanding of the history and traditions of each. He died in New York at the age of 96.