Wikipedia

Ming Tsao

Ming Tsao (Chinese: 曹明; pinyin: Cáo Míng) is a Chinese American composer based in Berlin, Germany.

Biography edit

Born in Berkeley, California, Ming Tsao is the son of Jung Ying Tsao (曹仲英), who emigrated to California from Tianjin, China and was a collector and scholar of Chinese painting.[1] His mother, Elna Hoeber, began Ming Tsao's musical education at the age of five with the violin. Her father, Frank Hoeber, was a violinist who emigrated to Colorado from Vienna, Austria and played first violin in the Denver Symphony Orchestra.[2] As a student, Ming Tsao traveled to Suzhou, China for a year to study the traditional zither (guqin: 古琴) with the renowned guqin performer Wu Zhaoji (吳兆基). He received graduate degrees in music composition, ethnomusicology, and mathematics.[3][4]

Ming Tsao was Professor of Composition at Göteborg University, Sweden[5][6] and Visiting Professor of Composition at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media in Germany.[7][8] He was awarded a Guggenheim for music composition.[9][10] His music is published by Edition Peters[11] and has been released on the Kairos and Mode CD labels.[12][13]

Style edit

Ming Tsao's musical style combines what he calls the "materiality" or sensuality arising from the inherent qualities of sound, with a formal, precise rigour in compositional style.[14] His compositions have been described as "virtuosic" and the work of "a highly complex thinking"[15] conveying a "multitude of fantastic orchestrational details", and a "genuinely dazzling range of invention."[16]

His opera Die Geisterinsel ("The Ghost Island"), based on William Shakespeare's The Tempest, was premiered by the Stuttgart Opera House for a first run of performances and was subsequently given a second run of performances at the Gothenburg Opera House (under the Swedish title Prosperos Trädgård or "Prospero's Garden") with an additional second act titled Mirandas Atemwende ("Miranda's Breathturn").[17][18][19] The opera was reviewed by Opernwelt as "having broken the prejudice that New Music after Strauss has lost its capacity to be sensual."[20] Other notable projects have included two works for large ensemble: Refuse Collection, an hommage to the oeuvre of French filmmakers Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub premiered at the Academy of Arts in Berlin;[21] and Plus Minus, a full realisation of Karlheinz Stockhausen's open composition of the same name, reviewed as a "very powerful work that one experiences as if by Stockhausen himself,"[22][23] which was premiered at the Witten Days for New Chamber Music. In addition to his research on mathematical applications to music composition,[24] his principal interest has been the relation between poetry and music composition.[25] He has focused his musical works on the poetry of Paul Celan and J.H. Prynne.[26]

Notable works edit

Musical Compositions edit

  • Triode Variations (2019 – 20), large ensemble
  • Dritte Stimme zu Bachs zweistimmigen Inventionen (2019), clavichord
  • Plus or Minus (2017 – 18), two pianos and electronics
  • Refuse Collection (2017), large ensemble
  • Das wassergewordene Kanonbuch (2016 – 17), chamber choir
  • Mirandas Atemwende (2014 – 15), chamber opera
  • Plus Minus (2012 – 13), large ensemble
  • Serenade (2012), large ensemble
  • Die Geisterinsel (2010 – 11), chamber opera
  • (Un)cover (2008), seven instruments
  • If ears were all that were needed… (2007), solo guitar
  • Pathology of Syntax (2006 – 07), string quartet
  • One–Way Street (2006), six instruments
  • The Book of Virtual Transcriptions (2004 – 05), seven instruments
  • Not Reconciled (2002 – 03), five instruments
  • Canon (2001), clarinet and cello

Recordings edit

  • Ming Tsao: Triode Variations, Kairos Music, 2022 (0015105KAI)
  • Ming Tsao: Plus Minus, Kairos Music, 2017 (0015014KAI)
  • Ming Tsao: Die Geisterinsel, Kairos Music, 2014 (0013372KAI)
  • Ming Tsao: Pathology of Syntax, Mode Records, 2014 (mode 268)

Prose edit

  • Josel, Seth F. and Tsao, Ming. Techniques of Guitar Playing. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2014. ISBN 9783761822432.[27]
  • Tsao, Ming. "Reverse Transkriptionen: Auf dem Weg zu einem materialistischen musikalischen Ausdruck," MusikTexte 175 (November 2022), 34–41 (in German).
  • Tsao, Ming. "Helmut Lachenmann’s 'Sound Types'," Perspectives of New Music, Volume 52, Number 1 (Winter 2014): 217–238.
  • Tsao, Ming. Abstract Musical Intervals: Group Theory for Composition and Analysis, Musurgia Universalis Press, Berkeley, CA., 2010. ISBN 978-1430308355.

Bibliography edit

Bork, Camilla. "Diesseits und Jenseits der Gartens: zum Musiktheater Ming Tsaos," Musik & Ästhetik 22, 2/2018: 49 - 62 (in German).

References edit

  1. ^ Wan, Qingli, Zhao Li, Lu Fusheng, Qian Shaowu, Hou Yimin, Cai Xingyi, Shan Guolin (2010). Selected Masterworks of Modern Chinese Painting: The Tsao Family Mozhai Collection (4 volumes) (in Chinese). China: Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House. ISBN 978-7807258483.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Rolfs, Ninia (January 26, 2023). "Removing the Anchors". Karsten Witt Magazin.
  3. ^ Tsao, Ming (November 9, 2023). "Wise Music Classical: Ming Tsao". Wise Music Classical. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  4. ^ McGarvey, Matt (November 14, 2007). "Composer Ming Tsao on inspiration, UCSD, and the future". UCSD Department of Music Current News. Retrieved November 11, 2023.[dead link]
  5. ^ Aaberg, Helena (June 23, 2009). "Ming Tsao appointed Professor of Composition, University of Gothenburg". IDW- informationsdienst Wissenschaft Magazin. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  6. ^ Engstörm, Andreas (2012). "Konstmusik – bakgrund och identification: Kompositionsprofessorerna svarar". Nutida Musik. 1–2: 27–28.
  7. ^ Klein, Hella (January 26, 2023). "Ming Tsao: Vertretung der Professur von Prof. Rebecca Saunders (Komposition)". Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.
  8. ^ Zander, Margaret (February 27, 2021). "neue musik: Experiment und Schönheit der Neuen Musik – Komponieren studieren an der HMTM Hannover". neue musikzeitung.
  9. ^ Welsh, Kate (January 23, 2023). "Ming Tsao Fellow". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
  10. ^ Klein, Hella (April 27, 2021). "Guggenheim-Stipendium für Ming Tsao". HTMT Hochschule für Musik, theater und Medien.
  11. ^ Tsao, Ming (November 9, 2023). "Wise Music Classical". Wise Music Classical. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Tsao, Ming (November 9, 2023). "Kairos". Kairos. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  13. ^ Tsao, Ming (November 9, 2023). "Mode Records". Mode Records. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  14. ^ Witt, Karsten (December 2, 2023). "Ming Tsao Composer". karstenwittmusikmanagement.
  15. ^ Mörchen, Raoul (January 26, 2023). "Ming Tsao: Pathology of Syntax". Rondo: Das Klassik- & Jazz-Magazin.
  16. ^ Cummings, Simon (30 December 2017). "Best Albums of 2017 (Part 1)". 5 against 4.
  17. ^ Großkreutz, Verena (May 5, 2011). "Prosperos Welt: "zeitoper"-Finale mit der Uraufführung von Ming Tsaos "Die Geisterinsel" in Stuttgart". Neue Musik Zeitung.
  18. ^ Nyström, Martin (April 25, 2016). "Prosperos Trädgård" på Göteborgsoperan". Dagens Nyheter.
  19. ^ Hiekel, Jörn Peter, Christian Utz (2016). Lexicon Neue Musik (in German). Germany: J.B. Metzler. p. 459. ISBN 978-3476023261.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Thiemann, Albrecht (2015). "Steinschlag, Sandfall, Atemstrom: Ming Tsaos Kammeroper "Die Geisterinsel"". Opernwelt (September/October).
  21. ^ Hering, Tobias (January 26, 2023). "Sounds of Resistance: Huillet/Straub und Arnold Schönberg". Akademie der Kunste: Sagen Sie's den Steinen.
  22. ^ Zimmerlin, Alfred (May 3, 2013). "Erhellende Irritationen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
  23. ^ Fuchs, Jörn Florian (April 28, 2013). ""Multiple Module" - Eine Bilanz der Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik". Deutschlandfunk – Kultur heute. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  24. ^ Tsao, Ming (2007). Abstract Musical Intervals: Group Theory for Music Composition and Analysis. Berkeley, California: Musurgia Universalis Press. pp. 1–170. ISBN 978-1430308355.
  25. ^ Tsao, Ming (Autumn 2017). "What is Speculative Music Composition?". PARSE Journal. 7 (Speculation Issue): 45–62.
  26. ^ Tsao, Ming (2022). Triode Variations (in English and German). Austria: Kairos, HNE Rights GmbH.
  27. ^ Nelson, William N. (2016). "[Review] The Techniques of Guitar Playing". Music Library Association Notes. 73 (1): 109–111 – via ProQuest.

External links edit

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