Lang Lang performs Xiaogang Ye's New Piano Concerto at the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

Celebrated Chinese pianist Lang Lang will perform the world premiere of a new piano concerto by his countryman Xiaogang Ye at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing. The title of the work translates literally as Music of Our Time, though an official translation will be announced during the ceremony.

The 8-minute concerto will be at centre of the event and in addition to the traditional piano and orchestral forces an electronic part has also been written in collaboration with Ye's student Zou Hang. With world-famous artists and extended musical techniques Music of Our Time will represent new modernity in the vivid music culture of contemporary China.

As an Outstanding Member of the China Political Consultative Conference, Xiaogang Ye is the official representative of Chinese Music at the Olympic Games and is running as a torch-bearer in Beijing on the 6th and 7th August. Born in 1955 and the son of a composer, Ye studied composition with Minxin Du, Samuel Adler, Joseph Schwantner, Louis Andriessen and Alexander Goehr. He is currently the artistic director of the Beijing Modern festival and dean at the Central Conservatory of Music. Ye's works have been published by Schott since 1995.

Schott-label WERGO has released two CDs with works by Xiaogang Ye. The orchestral CD “The Last Paradise / Winter / Pipa Concerto / Horizon” (WER 66462) exhibits a symbiosis of traditional Chinese and western contemporary music whilst "Nine Horses" (WER 62992) is a compilation of music by various Chinese composers performed by Ensemble Eclipse, the first Chinese ensemble specialising in contemporary music, which was founded by Xiaogang Ye.

• Xiaogang Ye - Profile
• CDs Featuring Xiaogang Ye with WERGO 
• Olympic Games 2008 - official website 

Xiaogang Ye (left) with pianist Lang Lang (right) at the rehearsals for the opening ceremony

(08/06/2008)