# East Asian Classical Music?



## Chopinist (3 mo ago)

Ok, I know what your thinking, when you think about East Asian Classical Music, you think about the music the Chinese Grandma's are dancing to in the park. But I was thinking if there are any Chinese piano/violin works, such as a piano concerto by a Chinese composer. Thanks


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## feierlich (3 mo ago)

Not sure if this is the genre you are looking for but it's exactly "a piano concerto by a Chinese composer". I believe Lei Liang is among the best Chinese composers today.


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

The famous ones are the Yellow River Piano Concerto and the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, but such an answer is the equivalent of saying the most famous classical music from Europe are Für Elise and Alla turca, so you get the drift.

For more meaty stuffs,

If you feel conservative, Du Mingxin has written one violin concerto and three piano concertos that are all Romantic at heart. 

The VC and the PC1 are available on a Marco Polo CD.









For something more modern and accessible,

Xiaogang Ye is a Cantonese composer who is the real deal in my opinion. He has written several concertos. E.g. 

The Last Paradise, for violin and orchestra









Scent of Green Mango, for piano and orchestra
Lamura Cuo, for violin and orchestra









Gordon Chin is a Taiwanese composer, who is also modern and accessible. E.g.

Formosa Seasons, for violin and strings 









Cello Concerto No. 1 









If you feel like avant-grade,

You might want to check out Ge Gang-ru, a Shanghainese composer who lives in the US. E.g.

12 Preludes
Ancient Music 
Hard, Hard, Hard! 
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! 









By the way, that toy piano in this album is fantastic.

This is not comprehensive of course. There're lots of music out there that I have no idea they exist.


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## clachat (11 mo ago)

Chinese grandma music wouldn't be my first thought but it's probably more authentic.


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## Chopinist (3 mo ago)

Kiki said:


> The famous ones are the Yellow River Piano Concerto and the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, but such an answer is the equivalent of saying the most famous classical music from Europe are Für Elise and Alla turca, so you get the drift.
> 
> For more meaty stuffs,
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot!


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I'm not sure what is meant by "East Asian" music since this is actually more countries than just China. Anyway, Isang Yun is probably my favorite Asian composer overall followed by Takemitsu. For those that don't know Yun's music, give this a listen:


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

Narong Prangcharoen is an outstanding contemporary Thai composer who synthesizes traditional Thai music with Western musical forms to create a unique sound.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Another cool composer that doesn't get mentioned much is Chinary Ung who is from Cambodia. There's really not much available out there of his music, but the sonic tapestries he's able to weave are quite gorgeous:


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

RICK RIEKERT said:


> Narong Prangcharoen is an outstanding contemporary Thai composer who synthesizes traditional Thai music with Western musical forms to create a unique sound.


I really like this composer.

About 6 years ago I saw Phenomena performed by the Colburn School orchestra in Pasadena.


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## justekaia (Jan 2, 2022)

Chinary Ung is from Cambodia and Prangcharoen from Thailand.Both are excellent composers but they do not belong to East Asia, but to South-East Asia.
Plse find hereafter a least of prominent East-Asian composers whom i have all featured in my various threads.
China: Qigang Chen (1951), Chen Yi (1953), Du Yun (1977), Ge Gang-Ru (1954), Lei Liang (1972), Huang Ruo (1976), Bright Sheng (1955), Tan Dun (1957), Ying Wang (1976), Zhou Long (1953), Zhou Tian (1981)
Japan: Dai Fujikura (1977), Toshio Hosokawa (1955), Misato Michozuki (1969), Akira Nishimura (1953), Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996), Takashi Yoshimatsu (1953), Joji Yuasa (1929)
Korea: Unsuk Chin (1961), Younghi Pagh-Paan (1945), Isang Yun (1917-1995)
Lei Liang who is probably the most famous East-Asian composer alive has personally participated to my thread: 10 Living Composers talk to TC.


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