Play Tan Dun Radio
Tan Dun
844,515 plays (79,777 listeners)
Tan Dun (Dun Tan, 譚盾; born August 18, 1957) is best known as the Grammy and Oscar award winning composer for the soundtracks of the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.
Tan Dun was born in the village of Simao, Changsha in the Hunan province of China. As a child, he was fascinated by the role in his village of the shaman, who conducted rituals and ceremonies, often set to music made with organic objects like rocks and water. However, as a child in the midst of China’s cultural revolution, this kind of ‘backward thinking’ was frowned upon, and he was sent to work as a rice planter on a government commune.
That, however, had very little effect on his affinity for music. He created his own ramshackle musical group, utilizing peasants in the village and playing whatever they could, sometimes just banging on pots and pans. It was from these peasants that he began to learn to play traditional Chinese string instruments.
His escape from the commune came in the form of a government sponsored touring company of the Peking opera. When a ferry full of performers capsized near the commune, killing several of them, Tan was employed by the troupe and left the commune.
From there he went to the China Conservatory of Music, and studied with musicians like Toru Takemitsu, who strongly influenced his musicianship, and his sense of musical style.
In 1985, he moved to New York City as a doctoral student at Columbia University, studying composition with Chou Wen-chung, who had studied with and assisted the composer Edgard Varèse.
Tan Dun was born in the village of Simao, Changsha in the Hunan province of China. As a child, he was fascinated by the role in his village of the shaman, who conducted rituals and ceremonies, often set to music made with organic objects like rocks and water. However, as a child in the midst of China’s cultural revolution, this kind of ‘backward thinking’ was frowned upon, and he was sent to work as a rice planter on a government commune.
That, however, had very little effect on his affinity for music. He created his own ramshackle musical group, utilizing peasants in the village and playing whatever they could, sometimes just banging on pots and pans. It was from these peasants that he began to learn to play traditional Chinese string instruments.
His escape from the commune came in the form of a government sponsored touring company of the Peking opera. When a ferry full of performers capsized near the commune, killing several of them, Tan was employed by the troupe and left the commune.
From there he went to the China Conservatory of Music, and studied with musicians like Toru Takemitsu, who strongly influenced his musicianship, and his sense of musical style.
In 1985, he moved to New York City as a doctoral student at Columbia University, studying composition with Chou Wen-chung, who had studied with and assisted the composer Edgard Varèse.
Top Albums
Shoutbox
-
Gilckson wrote:
He's the best!
-
Porgeface wrote:
Ghost Opera <3
-
fujikiri wrote:
Hero is better than CTHD, Hero is definitely his best soundtrack.
-
wnkee wrote:
the pride of our Chinese!
-
Kuanin wrote:
I saw him yesterday durning II Film Music Festival in Cracow. He is absolutely amazing <3
-
wjp4107 wrote:
Good day... Please check out the Movie Score Addicts... group. We would be very glad to have you as a member too. Thanks...
-
teresaaah wrote:
I'm listening Hero ost and its amazing! I'm gonna search everything from him now *-*
-
Galentari wrote:
All tracks from Hero and also Night Fight are brilliant
-
geiranger wrote:
Yes, I need it.
-
31zillah13 wrote:
The "Hero" soundtrack is amazing.
-
Note360 wrote:
@rentschlervous: most of the YT symphony has a different vibe. I like the non Eroica parts, the Eroica itself is not that great, neither version. Don't get me wrong its outstanding, but at the same time I find it rather bland. The reason was probably tied strongly to wanting to mix cultures and desiring to make something NEW for the YT symphony project. Why they didn't just get tan dun to do his own thing I don't know.
-
Porgeface wrote:
Makes some Chilling music, love tan dun!
-
Rentschlervous wrote:
I'm confused by the YouTube symphony. Why is it a Beethoven ripoff? Why not just play the real Eroica?
-
harlston wrote:
very calming. Beautiful.
-
ShinobiNoRyuu wrote:
damn good
-
stepup038 wrote:
Excellent music!
-
crewmanek wrote:
The Banquet [SOUNDTRACK] best work from tan dun respekt@love <3
-
LudovicoE wrote:
Awaited with baited breathe, a crescendo like no other, patientience delivers the listener a virtuoso virtue.
-
mosesxan wrote:
Are they ever going to release The Map on CD? The DVD is interesting, but I'd love to not always have to watch it.
-
vectorway wrote:
Absolute genius
Videos
Events
- Jul 10 East Meets West Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, Colorado, Denver, United States
-
Mar
25
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Alys Stephens Center, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Add shout
| 1 attendee
Listeners
-
ComanderOZI
Top Listener
-
GimmeSoMoFM
Top Listener
-
ebonyon
Top Listener
-
Mir4ge
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
papulina82 and Gilckson added Tan Dun to their libraries. yesterday evening
-
AlexHathaway added Tan Dun to the lineup of East Meets West at Chautauqua Auditorium. Friday evening
-
npetegorsky, LaNikita, theyoungtook and 1 other person added Tan Dun to their libraries. Friday evening
-
gluecksbaerchii tagged Tan Dun with ‘soundtrack’. Monday evening
-
selfdivided added Tan Dun to selfdivided’s library. Monday afternoon
-
zipferlak tagged Tan Dun with instrumental and chinese. last week
-
mediumex and Anie09 added Tan Dun to their libraries. last week
-
yogotox tagged Tan Dun with ‘instrumental’. last week
-
jordanrsmith1 and domivan added Tan Dun to their libraries. last week
-
yogotox tagged Tan Dun with film music and composer. last week
Related Journals
-
50 Questions About My Top 50 (7/1/09)
by iheartziyi |
1 Jul 2009 | Add comment
-
What countries are your top 50 from? (7/1/09)
by iheartziyi |
1 Jul 2009 | Add comment
-
TOP 16 MUSICIANS FROM CHINA
by selcukalhan |
16 Apr 2009 | Add comment
Groups (27)
-
Soundtrack
331 members
-
Soundtrack Geeks
4,383 members
-
Contemporary Classical
1,846 members
-
Lovers of Trance and New Age
880 members
-
20th Century Classical
832 members
More Information
- Links
- Labels
