Pulitzer-Prize winning composer ZHOU LONG is recognized for his unique body of work that combines diverse aesthetic and musical elements. He is a pioneer in translating the sounds and techniques of Chinese musical traditions to modern Western forms. Zhou, in his own words, works to capture Chinese timbres and folk themes and integrate them with Western conceptions of harmony, chromaticism, and angularity.
Born in Beijing to an artistic family, Zhou began studying the piano at an early age. During the Cultural Revolution, he was sent to work on a rural state farm in the Heilongjiang province. Zhou resumed his musical studies in 1973, focusing on composition, music theory, conducting, and the performance of traditional Chinese music. In 1977, he enrolled in the first composition class at the reopened Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Zhou moved to the United States to study composition at Columbia University in 1985, where he received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He then served as artistic director of the chamber ensemble Music From China and began teaching at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Zhou was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his first opera, and over his career, he has written for ensembles of varying sizes across many of the instrumental families. His compositional ideas speak with immediate clarity that draws in listeners. Through every variation in Zhou’s musical textures, there is constant forward motion driven by percussive rhythm. Similarly, there are often sudden shifts in movement between extremes in dynamics and tempo. He often draws inspiration for his works from historical events, places, and people—such as the Eight Poets depicted in Du Fu’s poem "The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup" and Zhou’s Tipsy Poet illustrated in the banner above—and attempts to paint scenes for listeners through thoughtful instrumentation undergoing constant evolution. As his career progresses, Zhou continues exploring ways to tell new stories to an ever-expanding audience. We invite you to learn more about his works in our catalog below.
MEN OF IRON AND THE GOLDEN SPIKE
Symphonic Oratorio
50'
Premiered in 2019, Zhou Long’s Men of Iron and the Golden Spike tells the story of the building of the Golden Spike, the final piece joining the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States, by Chinese American railroad workers who faced extreme discrimination and endured racism from the Central Pacific Railroad company. It is estimated that at least 1,000 workers died during the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, with most documentation of their employment destroyed by the U.S. government following completion of the project. Zhou Long honors the Chinese Americans who suffered injustice in this moving oratorio.
BEIJING RHYME
Symphonic Suite for Orchestra
30'
Commissioned by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Rhyme was first performed and recorded in September 2012 in Beijing, China, conducted by Tan Lihua. The work is divided into four movements: "Wind of Bell, Drum," which explores the pulse and sound of drum beating emanating from the Bell and Drum Towers on Gulou Street in Beijing, "Wind of Temple Fair," which imagines ancient trade markets held around a Temple, "Wind of a Beijing Rhyme," an orchestral interpretation of the Jing Yun Da Gu tradition of vocal storytelling, and "Wind of Hastily Beats," which mimics a rhythmic effect often utilized in Peking Opera.
BRILLIANT PROSPECT
Piano Concerto, Co-Composed with Chen Yi
25'
The piano concerto Brilliant Prospect was commissioned by SUSTech to commemorate the school and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Brilliant Prospect, also known as "Southern Wind," was first performed in 2022 by the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in the Shenzhen Concert Hall with Pianist Zhang Haochen and Conductor Lin Daye. The tonal material in the concerto comes from the "Song of Place Names" melody frequently used in Dapeng folk songs. The piano soloist echoes the orchestra, recreating the historic tolerance and cultural integration in Pengcheng with a bright and sonorous rhythm.
DUNHUANG FANTASIA
for Piano
12'
Dunhuang Fantasia is a fascinating 12-minute drama inspired by art from grottoes in the ancient town of Dunhuang in western China. These frescoes preserve images of music and dance scenes, including the postures and attitudes of performers, and of the musical instruments used. Zhou Long’s music begins with a mysterious introduction driven by drum-like textures, followed by a series of episodes, enhanced by captions of the artwork inspiring each section and evocations of the ancient musical instruments.
NINE ODES
A Symphonic Epic for 4 Vocalists and Orchestra
70'
Zhou Long’s Nine Odes was commissioned by Maestro Long Yu, Chairman of the Beijing Music Festival Arts Foundation, for the organization. Zhou’s setting marks the first time that a full, large-scale, symphonic epic interpretation of the entire eleven chapters of Qu Yuan’s Nine Odes has been attempted. The work includes combinations of solos, duets, and quartets with large orchestra to create musically vivid characters, while depicting various aspects of the Han-Chu culture. Nine Odes is dedicated to Zhou’s wife, Composer Chen Yi, in honor of her 60th birthday.
SYMPHONY 'HUMEN 1839'
Co-Composed with Chen Yi
30'
Symphony 'Humen 1839' was commissioned by the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the Destruction of Opium in Humen, Guangdong, China in 1839, which led to the First Opium War. It was first performed on September 13, 2009 at the Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, and conducted by Yu Long. The first three movements of the work reflect on the event through tense, rhythmic writing that evolves toward an explosive finale that pays homage to the resiliency of the Chinese people. Hear Symphony 'Humen 1839' in performance by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
TIPSY POET
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
10'
Tipsy Poet was co-commissioned by the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Dresden Music Festival, and was premiered at the Dresden Music Festival in May 2019 under the direction of Cristian Macelaru, with Cello Soloist Jan Vogler. Tipsy Poet is based on "The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup" by Du Fu (712-770 AD). In this long poem, Du Fu provides individual humorous and affectionate descriptions of the drunken behavior of eight famous poets, all friends of his. He describes the poets as unrestrained, undisciplined, humorous and eloquent. Hear Tipsy Poet as performed by Jan Vogler and the WDR Symphony Orchestra.
We are little seeds from China, coming out from the deep cultural roots of thousands of years. We have grown on the American soil nurtured by the spring rains in the multicultural society. We have been working hard and looking forward to a bright future of the globe."—Chen Yi and Zhou Long on TRANSPLANTED SEEDS
TRANSPLANTED SEEDS
Co-Composed with Chen Yi
15'
Commissioned and premiered by the National Repertory Orchestra through the generous support of Dr. Kai YiuYeung and Pam Piper Yeung, Transplanted Seeds was subsequently performed by the Kansas City Symphony in January 2024, Conducted by Michael Stern. This single movement orchestral work includes five sections, including variations on two Cantonese folk songs, and the convergence of all the previous musical material that builds to a climactic finale, symbolizing, in the composer’s words, “The hard-working people in our new society moving towards the flourishing future of the world.”
I realized that this was not just an ancient epic about the Sidian ceremony; I was deeply affected by its romantic rhyme as well. I gained a newfound appreciation for the work of poet Qu Yuan, who borrowed the imagination of the gods to express his deepest thoughts and feelings of love.”—Zhou Long on ANCIENT ECHOES
ANCIENT ECHOES
Concerto for Wind Symphony
30'
Ancient Echoes, Zhou's first large-scale work for symphonic winds, is a six-movement work based on the ancient epic poem "Nine Odes" by Qu Yuan. In the composer’s words: “They are odes to humankind, God, and Earth; this is the idea I pursued while composing. The second movement, The Ruler within the Cloud, and the third movement, To the Lord of the River Xiang, feature the woodwinds and percussion, while the rest of the movements rely on the full wind symphony to evoke many vivid musical characters. These characters reflect dualities within the Han-Chu culture: ancient yet new, elegant yet natural, all while entertaining the human, praising God, and offering odes to the earth."