Overview
Biography
Currently, Damin Ren is full-time Professor of Music Composition and Composition Technical Theory, used to be Director of Music Research Institute, of Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, P. R. China.
His main teaching Courses are Musical analysis, Traditional Harmony, Jazz Harmony, Composition, English Music Literature Translation, etc. His research Areas are Compositional theory, musical analysis, traditional harmony, jazz harmony, musical literature translation, etc.
Background
He received his Bachelor Degree and Master degrees of Arts (Music Composition and Composition Technique Theory) from the well-known Tianjin Conservatory of Music (established in 1958) in China, in 1982 and 1986, respectively. He became a teacher at the Department of Composition at Tianjin Conservatory of Music in 1986, where he became associate professor and Deputy Director of Department of Composition in 1990s. Later, as an outstanding talent, he was introduced to Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou in 1999, where he became professor in 2000 and have been teaching until today. He had been Deputy Director of the Composition Department, Librarian of the Music Library, and Director of Music Institute successively before 2016.
Up to date, he has published dozens of research papers in top-rated journals and international conferences. His theory books and translations of music theory and music dictionaries have been used widely as a textbook or reference book by college students, graduate students, and doctoral students in China. His original compositions have been performed internationally.
Major Articles
1. Shostakovich and His 24 Preludes and Fugues' Technique Research, in Music Learning and Research, the Journal of Tianjin Conservatory of Music, No.1 in 1988.
2. On Regular, Irregular and Marginal Forms of Music, in the Journal of Xinghai Conservatory of Music, No.3 in September 2000.
3. Classified Concepts and Terms and Their Discrimination in Musical Form Analysis Literature of Anglo-American Works, in the Journal of Xinghai Conservatory of Music, No.4 in 2006.
4. Traps for Music Literature’s Translation, in the Journal of Xinghai Conservatory of Music, No.2 in 2011, pages 16-23.
5. What The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory Tells Us, in Music & Performance, the Journal of Nanjing Arts Institute (core journal in China), No.3 in 2013.
6. Music Analysis Theory: Its Early History & Transmission in China, in the Journal of Central Conservatory of Music (core journal in China), No.3 in 2013.
7. On the Rhythms of Traditional Tonal Music and Modern Music and their Related Concepts, in the Journal of Wuhan Conservatory of Music (core journal in China), No.1 in 2017.
8. On the Terminological Issues in English-Chinese Translation of Musical Literature, in the Journal of Xinghai Conservatory of Music, No.2 in 2017, pages 5-12.
Major Theory Books
1. Harmony of Pop and Jazz (流行音乐与爵士乐和声学) in People's Music Publishing House, 1997
2. A English-Chinese Handbook of Computer & Midi in Music Application (英汉电脑与迷笛制作手册) in Hebei Children's Publishing House, 1998
3. Fundamental of Music Theory (基本乐理) in People's Music Publishing House, 2006
4. Harmony of Pop and Jazz (流行音乐与爵士乐和声学), 2nd Edition in People's Music Publishing House, 2015
Music Collections
1. Piano Playing Chinese and Foreign Pop Music（1）[钢琴演奏中外抒情曲集No.1] in People's Music Publishing House, 1997
2. Piano Playing Chinese and Foreign Pop Music（2）[钢琴演奏中外抒情曲集No.2] in People's Music Publishing House, 1999
3. 100 Songs For Electric Organ Arranged in Jazz Style [以爵士乐手法改编的电子琴曲100首] in People's Music Publishing House, 1999
4. 18 Piano Solo Pieces on Chinese Folksongs’ Themes [民歌主题钢琴曲18首] in People's Music Publishing House, 1999
Translations from English into Chinese
1. Simple Composition, by Charles Wuorinen, Chinese version简明十二音作曲法, in People's Music Publishing House, 1999
2. The Cambridge Companion to Saxophone, edited by Richard Ingham, Chinese version剑桥音乐丛书—萨克斯管, in People's Music Publishing House, 2006
3. The Cambridge Companion to Brass Instruments, edited by Trevor Herbert and John Walla, Chinese version剑桥音乐丛书—铜管乐器, in People's Music Publishing House, 2007
4. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, 2003 Second Edition, Edited by Barry Kernfeld, Chinese version新格罗夫爵士乐词典, in Flower City Publishing House, 2008
5. Jazz by Paul Tanner, David Megill, and Maurice Gerow, Chinese version爵士乐, in People's Music Publishing House, 2010
6. The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory, edited by Thomas Christensen, Chinese version剑桥西方音乐理论发展史, in Shanghai Music Publishing House, 2011
7. Solo Jazz Piano by Neil Olmstead, Chinese version爵士钢琴独奏教程, in People's Music Publishing House, 2014
Musical Compositions That Performed Nationally and Internationally
1.2003: Full of Joy for Chinese Traditional Orchestra was premiered in Guangzhou, China.
2. 2004: Mountain-song for Violin and Piano was premiered in Korea.
3.2008: Fantasia—Octet, two movements was premiered in Korea, commissioned by Gwangju Jeong Yul Seong International Music Festival Committee of Korea.
4. 2013: Cantonese Capriccio for Cello & Piano was commissioned by and premiered in Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition in 2013 in Hong Kong. It was the Chinese style work that all the contestants of the Cello Professional Group would play in the final round.
5. 2016: Cantonese Capriccio for Cello & Piano No.2 was commissioned by and premiered in Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition in 2016 in Ha-er-bin, China. It was the Chinese style work that all the contestants of the Cello Professional Group would play in the final round.
6. 2018: Piano Trio "Autumn Scenery" was premiered in the Sound of East — Talk & Concert in January in Korea, commissioned by Logos Ensemble of Korea.
7. 2018: Spring Scenery Quintet for Chinese traditional instruments was premiered in June in Guangxi, China, commissioned by The 2018 China-ASEAN Music Festival(2018东盟音乐周).
Award
1. His composition Cantonese Capriccio for Cello & Piano won Award of Outstanding Composition in The First Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition in 2013, in Hong Kong.
2. His Chinese translation of The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory, edited by Thomas Christensen, Chinese edition剑桥西方音乐理论发展史, won the Excellent Award of The Ninth-Session Chinese Golden-Bell Award Competition in 2014.
Academic Activities
1. He was invited by China Conservatory of Music in Beijing to give a lecture of “Reading Guidance to The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory” for the students striving for doctoral or graduate degree in fall of 2010.
2. He was invited by Tianjin Conservatory of Music to give a lecture of “Introduction to History of Western Music Theory” for the graduate students in fall 2010.
3. He was invited by Shanghai Conservatory of Music to give a lecture of “Introduction to History of Western Music Theory” for the students striving for doctoral or graduate degree in April 2011.
4. He was invited by Wuhan Conservatory of Music in Hubei Province to give a lecture of “Introduction to History of Western Music Theory” for the students striving for graduate degree in September 2011.
5. He was invited as a consultative expert of “Symposium of Translation of the Chinese Music Literatures into English” by Professor Zhang Boyu, director of Musicology Department of Central Conservatory in Beijing in October 2011.
6. He planned "2016 China First International Workshop for Musical Literature Translation" at Xingai Conservatory of Music, which was held in October 2016.
7. As an invited expert, he gave a lecture of "On the use of Jazz Harmony in Music Creation of Chinese Style" at the SUMMIT of "The 2017 China-ASEAN Music Festival" (2017东盟音乐周) in May, which was organized by Guangxing Arts University, China.
8. His Piano Trio premiered in Korea in Jan. of 2018.
9. His Qintet for Chinese Instruments premiered in June of The 2018 China-ASEAN Music Festival.
