"Starry Sky" - Piano Concerto for the Olympic Games 2008

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing was one of the most closely guarded secrets of this mega sports event. What exactly was on the programme was unknown to almost everybody before the ceremony began. Almost 4 billion viewers throughout the world watched the ceremony during which the torch reached the Olympic stadium on the 8th day of the 8th month 2008, between 1 and 3 p.m. CEST.

What we saw was the history of China unfold with breathtaking choreographic displays, projections and technical effects. For music fans, the most interesting item on the programme was the transition from the Imperial Era to the modern age: suddenly, a grand piano was revealed in the middle of the Olympic stadium, and standing next to it a little girl with star pianist Lang Lang.

In front of the vast crowd in the stadium, and the 4 billions around the world, Lang Lang played a new piano concerto by Schott composer Ye Xiaogang. The official title of this work and its translation was not announced before the ceremony: Starry Sky.

The eight-minute piano concerto is scored for piano and orchestra, but also contains an electronic part created by the Ye student Zou Hang. Performed by world-famous artists and demonstrating a synthesis of traditional and contemporary musical material, Starry Sky represents the new modern age in Chinese art music and the living present-day musical culture of China. Lang Lang was accompanied by the China Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yu Long.

'As a young guy it is a big honour for me to play at the opening ceremony and to represent a new generation of Chinese people to the world. The concerto by Mr Ye really is beautiful', said Lang Lang in an interview with the news agency Reuters.

As a member of the China Political Consultative Conference, Ye Xiaogang is the official representative of Chinese music at the Olympic Games and took part in the Olympic torch relay in Beijing on 7 August.

Born in 1955, the son of a composer, Ye studied composition with Du Minxin, Samuel Adler, Joseph Schwantner, Louis Andriessen and Alexander Goehr. He is the artistic director of the festival Beijing Modern and dean of composition at the Central Conservatory of China. Ye's works have been published by Schott Music since 1995.

WERGO has released two CDs with works by Ye Xiaogang. The music on the orchestral CD The Last Paradise / Winter / Pipa Concerto / Horizon'(WER 66462) is a remarkable symbiosis of traditional Chinese and new Western music. The CD Nine Horses (WER 62992) contains works by various Chinese composers which were recorded by the ensemble Eclipse founded by Ye – China's first ensemble for contemporary music.

• photos: Opening celebration with Lang Lang (above) and Ye with  Greek athlete Maria at the torch relay (below)

• Preview story to the event
• Xiaogang Ye - Profile
• CDs featuring Xiaogang Ye with WERGO 
• Olympic Games 2008 - Official Website