Newsmakers: Tan Dun, Distinguished Composer

In both China and New York City, Chinese American composer Tan Dun has staged his distillation of the Chinese operatic classic, The Peony Pavilion, in a unique garden setting.  

According to China Daily’s Liu Yuhan, Tan has revived the dying art of ancient Suzhou-style kunqu opera.  Recently, The Peony Pavilion held five performances in the Metropolitan Museum’s Ming dynasty-style Suzhou garden in a program co-sponsored by Shirley Young’s US-China Cultural Institute.  After the success of The Peony Pavilion in New York, Tan has been invited to share his work in other major cities such as Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and London.