Wen Deqing Wen Deqing

Composer Deqing WEN

Born in a small village in Southern China, Wen studied composition in China, Switzerland and France, with Guo Zu-Rong, Shi Wan-Chun, Luo Zhong-Rong, Jean Balissat and Gilbert Amy. He was a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York City while 2005 to 2006. At present, he is professor of composition and “analysis and performance of contemporary music”, also the Deputy Dean of Composition Department the artistic director of New Music Week and director of le Documentation Central de la Musique Contemporaine of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The composer in residence of “Davos Festival – young artists in concert” 2009.

His music is a mixture of traditional Chinese music and complex western techniques. These are combined with his own creative inspiration.

Wen is deeply influenced by Chinese culture, particularly philosophy, painting and calligraphy. He adapts a new system to express his message in each piece. He also tries to use everyday objects such as cans, bottles, glasses, wind machines, tap water and paper.

His music has been performed around the world. He has been honored with concerts dedicated to his compositions in China, France, Denmark, Switzerland and the United States. Deqing Wen’s CD is published by Stradivarius (Italy) and Musiques Grammont Portrait of Switzerland. He has been awarded numerous prizes (among others, the Prix Cultura 1999 of the Foundation Kiwanis and the 2001 Composer Prize of the Foundation Leenaards of Switzerland). His commissions include Pro Helvetia, the Festival Archipel, the Association des Amis de la Musique , the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik for Arditti String Quartet, Radio-Espace 2 for the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Taipei Chinese traditional orchestra of Taiwan. His opera «Le Pari» (The Wager) has been performed in the international Festival of Geneva (Switzerland), Shanghai, Beijing and Savonlinna (Finland).

He is a member of the Societé Suisse pour les Droits des Auteurs d’Oeuvres Musicales.