Dr. Zhou Tian (Composition '05)
The GRAMMY-nominated Chinese-American composer and Curtis alumnus creates endlessly inventive works that fuse different cultures and sounds
Praised for his “ravishing” compositions (Arts Desk) and colorful music that has been described as “absolutely beautiful…utterly satisfying” (Fanfare), “stunning” (the Cincinnati Enquirer), and “a prime example of 21st-century global multiculturalism,” award-winning composer and Curtis alumnus Dr. Zhou Tian (’05) has written film/documentary scores, dance, and crossover pieces, and seen his orchestral, choral, and chamber works performed at many of the world’s most prestigious venues by some of the most prominent orchestras and performers of our time. The Wall Street Journal once stated that his works “accomplish two important things: They remind us of how we got from there to here, and they refine that history by paying belated tribute to contributors who might otherwise be forgotten.”
In 2022, he became the first Asian-American to win the coveted Sousa-ABA-Ostwald Award for Sinfonia, and in 2019, Beijing Music Festival named him “Artist of the Year.” His powerful Concerto for Orchestra, commissioned and recorded by the Cincinnati Symphony and Louis Langrée, earned him a GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2018, making him the first Chinese-born composer honored in that category. His acclaimed work, “Gift,” commissioned by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, premiered at Shanghai Symphony Concert Hall in 2019 and opened the New York Philharmonic’s January 2020 concert at David Geffen Hall under the baton of Long Yu. Throughout the 2022–23 season, “Gift” has seen performances by the London Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and other prominent orchestras, a notable accomplishment for a composer in the 21st century.
Born into a musical family in 1981 in Hangzhou, China, Dr. Zhou moved to the United States when he was nineteen. At Curtis, he studied composition with Richard Danielpour and Jennifer Higdon and received his bachelor’s of music. He then got his master’s at the Juilliard School and studied with Donald Crockett and Stephen Rouse at the University of Southern California (D.M.A.). Dr. Zhou has held Composition Fellowships from Tanglewood, Aspen, American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, and Henri Mancini Institute, and served as an assistant professor at Colgate University before joining Michigan State University as an associate professor in 2016. Additionally, he has served as composer-in-residence with the Shanghai Symphony, Tianjin Juilliard School, Reno Philharmonic, and Chicago’s Music In the Loft concert series, and his works have been featured and broadcast on NPR, PBS, and recorded on Cedille, Innova, Fanfare Cincinnati, Archimusic, and Pacific records.
To learn more about Dr. Zhou Tian, visit his official website HERE.
Photo credits: 1.) Banner image by Harley Seeley. 2.) Zhou Tian at the 60th annual GRAMMY Awards for Concerto for Orchestra. J. McCarthy/Getty Images North America. 3.) Zhou Tian, Mimi Stillman (Flute ’99), Col. Jason Fettig; photo by Chase Baran. 4.) Curtis on Tour: Jason Vieaux, Nadir Khashimov (Violin ’14), Roberto Díaz (’84), Eric Han (Cello ’13), and Zhou Tian at the premiere of Red Trees, Wrinkled Cliffs in 2012; courtesy of artist’s official website. 5.) Zhou Tian with the New York Philharmonic at the U.S. premiere of “Gift”; photo by Chris Lee.