Huang Ruo (China / USA)

Huang Ruo has a vibrant and inventive musical voice that draws equal inspiration from Chinese folk, Western avant-garde, rock and jazz, while his writing spans from orchestra, chamber music, opera, theatre and modern dance, to sound installation, multi-media, experimental improvisation, folk rock and film. It is no wonder he is regarded by The New Yorker magazine as “one of the most intriguing of the new crop of Asian-American composers”. His collaboraters include New York City Ballet’s principal dancer Damian Woetzel and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, as well as kinetic painter Norman Perryman. Huang is also a conductor and Chinese folk-rock singer, releasing commercial recordings on Naxos and Albany Records. Born in Hainan Island, China, in 1976, he received both traditional and Western education at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. As a result of the Cultural Revolution and changes that followed, his education expanded from Bach, Mozart, Stravinsky and Lutoslawski to include the Beatles, rock and roll, heavy metal and jazz. As part of the new generation of Chinese composers, Huang does not just aim to mix both Western and Eastern elements, but to go beyond that to create a seamless integration and a convincing organic unity, drawing influences from various genres and cultures.

“His writing adds a new tint to the orchestra palette, and combines many voices, many lives” – The Wall Street Journal

http://www.huangruo.com/