Gao Ping

Bright Light and Cloud Shadows

Bright Light and Cloud Shadows was commissioned by the Adam Chamber Music Festival and given its World Premiere by the New Zealand String Quartet at the Festival in Nelson in January 2007.

Spring mountains have no near or far,
a thought of the past instantly becomes a forest.
With no place where clouds are not flying,
how did a worldly thought come to mind?

Ba-da-shan-ren (translated by Arthur Sze).

Biography

Gao Ping (b. 1970)

Gao Ping, who is currently lecturer in composition at the School of Music at Canterbury University in Christchurch, received his doctorate in composition at Cincinnati University in the US. He is in demand internationally as both a pianist and composer. His music has been performed in Europe, Asia, Russia and across the Americas and he has received many international commissions from leading musicians and organizations.

Gao Ping shares the distinction with Tan Dun of being one of the few composers known to the world outside his native China. The Naxos CD of his works is now available in New Zealand.

He says of his music: “My big influence is China with its rich array of 55 diverse musical cultures. It’s been that way for 1,000 years. We’re crazy on your western art music, too. China’s acculturation to it has been deceptively fast. Gone are the days of Euro-centred art music. It’s now world music.”