August 1, 2011
by Michael Cameron

Zhou Long may be the first Chinese-American composer honored with a Pulitzer, but predecessors of his heritage have achieved great prominence on the concert stage. One of the most acclaimed is Tan Dun, the only composer represented who has flirted with the Western avant-garde. His Elegy: Snow in June is a haunting work for solo cello and percussion quartet that, like most of the others, finds inspiration in ancient legends. This set of free variations begins and ends with clear Chinese melodic influences, while the remainder explores a dizzying array of colors that includes loud percussive snaps and barely audible tearing of paper strips. Cellist Chris Wild and Third Coast Percussion gave the piece a dramatic and expressively nuanced performance.

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