Short bio Bright Sheng
Full biography Bright Sheng
Bright Sheng is a world-renowned Chinese-born American composer, pianist, and conductor. He is widely respected as one of the foremost composers of our time and has won widespread acclaim for his unique blend of Eastern and Western musical traditions.
Sheng began his musical career as a pianist and later turned to composition, studying with renowned composers such as Leonard Bernstein, George Perle, and Alexander Goehr. His work has been performed by some of the world's most prestigious orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic.
A significant characteristic of Sheng's music is his fusion of Eastern and Western musical elements, which is particularly evident in works such as "The Intimacy of Creativity" and "The Song of Majnun." He has been praised for his ability to seamlessly blend traditional Chinese folk melodies with contemporary Western classical music, creating a unique and captivating sound.
In addition to composing, Sheng is also an accomplished conductor, having led many of the world's most distinguished orchestras. He has also served as a professor of composition at the University of Michigan and the University of Hong Kong.
Despite his many accomplishments, Sheng's career has not been without controversy. In 2021, he showed a film featuring blackface to his students, which sparked outrage and prompted him to issue a public apology and step down from his teaching position.
Overall, Bright Sheng is a highly acclaimed composer, conductor, and pianist who has made significant contributions to the field of classical music through his unique fusion of Eastern and Western musical traditions.
Compositions featuring Bright Sheng
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suzhou Overture, for orchestra | 9:45 min | Orchestral | 2019 |
| 2 | Deep Red, for marimba & orchestra | 17:47 min | Concerto | 2014 |
| 3 | Let Fly, concerto for violin & orchestra | 27:43 min | Concerto | 2013 |
| 4 | The Singing Gobi Desert, nonet for erhu/zhonghu, sheng, pipa, yangqin, saxophone quartet & percussion | 20:38 min | Chamber Music | 2012 |
| 5 | The Blazing Mirage, for cello & string orchestra | 18:50 min | Concerto | 2012 |
| 6 | Melodies of a Flute, for flute, violin, cello & percussion | 16:52 min | Chamber Music | 2011 |
| 7 | Dance Capriccio, for piano & string quartet | 11:28 min | Chamber Music | 2011 |
| 8 | Hot Pepper, for violin & marimba | 9:09 min | Chamber Music | 2010 |
| 9 | Northern Lights, for cello & piano | 22:18 min | Chamber Music | 2009 |
| 10 | Sweet May Again, for double bass & piano | 9:25 min | Chamber Music | 2007 |
| 11 | String Quartet No. 5 ("The Miraculous") | 17:19 min | Chamber Music | 2007 |
| 12 | My Other Song, for piano | 20:43 min | Keyboard | 2007 |
| 13 | Little Cabbage, duet for 2 clarinets | 2:09 min | Chamber Music | 2006 |
| 14 | Fantasies (3) for violin & piano | 14:40 min | Chamber Music | 2006 |
| 15 | Black Swan, for orchestra (after Brahms' "Intermezzo, Op. 118/2") | 6:52 min | Orchestral | 2006 |
| 16 | A Night at the Chinese Opera, for violin & piano | 9:17 min | Chamber Music | 2005 |
| 17 | Zodiac Tales, concerto for orchestra | 30:17 min | Concerto | 2005 |
| 18 | The Phoenix, for voice & orchestra | 23:39 min | Vocal Music | 2004 |
| 19 | Colors of Crimson, for marimba & orchestra | 18:09 min | Concerto | 2004 |
| 20 | The Song and Dance of Tears, for cello, pipa, piano & orchestra | 22:52 min | Orchestral | 2003 |
| 21 | Tibetian Swing, for orchestra | 8:50 min | Orchestral | 2002 |
| 22 | Tibetan Dance, for clarinet, violin & piano | 9:20 min | Chamber Music | 2000 |
| 23 | Nanking! Nanking!, a threnody for orchestra & pipa | 26:30 min | Concerto | 2000 |
| 24 | String Quartet No. 4 ("Silent Temple") | 14:17 min | Chamber Music | 2000 |
| 25 | Flute Moon for piccolo/flute, harp, piano, percussion & string orchestra | 18:23 min | Orchestral | 1999 |
| 26 | Red Silk Dance, for piano & orchestra | 15:14 min | Orchestral | 1999 |
| 27 | Songs (3), for pipa & violoncello | 9:24 min | Chamber Music | 1999 |
| 28 | Postcards for orchestra | 15:31 min | Orchestral | 1997 |
| 29 | A Tune from Childhood, for solo clarinet | 3:33 min | Chamber Music | 1996 |
| 30 | China Dreams, for orchestra | 25:27 min | Orchestral | 1995 |
| 31 | Seven Tunes Heard In China, for cello | 19:19 min | Chamber Music | 1995 |
| 32 | Concertino for clarinet & string quartet | 12:03 min | Chamber Music | 1994 |
| 33 | String Quartet No. 3 | 19:11 min | Chamber Music | 1993 |
| 34 | The Song of Majnun, opera | 73:45 min | Opera | 1992 |
| 35 | Folk Songs (2) from Qinghai | 10:48 min | Vocal Music | 1991 |
| 36 | The Stream Flows, for solo violin | 9:25 min | Chamber Music | 1990 |
| 37 | Movements (4), for piano trio | 12:05 min | Chamber Music | 1990 |
| 38 | My Song for piano | 10:03 min | Keyboard | 1989 |
| 39 | Chinese Love Songs (3) for soprano, viola & piano | 6:48 min | Vocal Music | 1988 |
| 40 | H'un (Lacerations): In Memoriam 1966 - 76 for orchestra | 22:03 min | Orchestral | 1987 |
| 41 | Poems (2) from the Sung Dynasty, for voice & orchestra | 13:33 min | Vocal Music | 1985 |
| 42 | The Nightingale and the Rose, for orchestra | 21:52 min | Orchestral | - |
| 43 | Never Far Away, for harp & orchestra | 23:48 min | Orchestral | - |
| 44 | Shanghai Overture, for orchestra | 8:06 min | Orchestral | - |
| 45 | Tibetan Love Song, for orchestra | 4:49 min | Orchestral | - |
| 46 | Variation Fugato, for piano | 2:48 min | Keyboard | - |
| 47 | La'I ("Love Song"), for band | 4:50 min | Band Music | - |
Albums featuring Bright Sheng
| # | Сover | Name album | Year | Music label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Bright Sheng, Dan Zhu, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra – Let Fly • Zodiac Tales(CD, Album) | 2021 | Naxos |
| 2 |  |
Bright Sheng, Dan Zhu, Julian Schwarz And Trey Lee, Robert Black, Yoobin Son, Pius Cheung, David Friend (3), Marika Bournaki – Northern Lights | 2017 | Naxos |
| 3 |  |
Weisgall • Brings • Mandelbaum • Smaldone • Sheng • Schober • Saylor • Kraft, The New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum, Queens College Choir And Vocal Ensemble, James John (2) – Songs Of Peace And Praise: Choral Music From Queens College(CD, Album) | 2017 | Naxos |
| 4 |  |
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Bright Sheng – The Intimacy Of Creativity: Five Year Retrospective(2×CD, ) | 2016 | Naxos |
| 5 |  |
Jun Qian, Kent McWilliams , Works By Mei-Chun Chen, Bright Sheng, Gao Hong, Chen Yi, Shih-Hui Chen, Ming-Hsiu Yen – East Meets West (Clarinet Music By Chinese Composers)(CD, Album) | 2012 | Albany Records |
| 6 |  |
Zhou Long, Bright Sheng, Chen Yi, Sharon Bezaly, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Lan Shui – Across The Sea (Chinese-American Flute Concertos)(CD, Album) | 2011 | BIS |
| 7 |  |
Tang Jianping, Bright Sheng, Ma Shui-long, Chen Yi - Michala Petri, Copenhagen Philharmonic – Chinese Recorder Concertos - East Meets West(SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel, Album) | 2010 | OUR Recordings |
| 8 |  |
Spring Dreams(CD, Album) | 2009 | Naxos |
| 9 |  |
Bright Sheng, Shana Blake Hill, Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz – The Phoenix(CD, ) | 2009 | Naxos |
| 10 |  |
Orchestral Works(CD, ) | 2003 | Naxos |
| 11 |  |
Bright Sheng - Shanghai Quartet, Bright Sheng, Wu Man – Silent Temple(CD, Album) | 2002 | BIS |
| 12 |  |
Bright Sheng, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Lan Shui, Sharon Bezaly – Flute Mood · China Dreams · Postcards(CD, Album) | 2000 | BIS |
| 13 |  |
The Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center, David Shifrin - John Corigliano / Ellen Taaffe Zwilich / Bright Sheng / Joan Tower / Bruce Adolphe – Five American Clarinet Quintets(2×CD, ) | 1998 | Delos |
| 14 |  |
Elliot Carter / Bright Sheng - John Oliver Chorale, John Oliver (3) – Emblems · Heart Not So Heavy As Mine · The Harmony Of Morning · Musicians Wrestle Everywhere / Two Folk Songs From Chinhai(CD, ) | 1994 | Koch International Classics |
| 15 |  |
H'un (Lacerations) And Other Works(CD, ) | 1991 | New World Records |
| 16 |  |
NZTrio, Bright Sheng, Ross Edwards, Toru Takemitsu, Gillian Whitehead – Bright Tide Moving Between(CD, ) | - | Rattle Records |
Leave a Reply