Course Description

European music was introduced into Japan, China and Korea in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and by the 1930s Asian performers were performing European works and there were Chinese and Japanese composers in Western-influenced styles. After World War II came an explosion of interest and training in Western music (despite the Cultural Revolution in China), and a productive dynamic developed between Eastern and Western musical styles. The course will consider the culture of Western music in Asian countries and the responses of Asian composers to Western music. Composers studied will include: Matsudaira Yoritsune, Takemitsu Toru, Mayuzumi Toshiro, Miki Minoru, Yun Isang, Chin Unsuk, Xian Xinhai, Chou Wen-chung, Bright Sheng, Zhu Jianer, Chen Yi, Tan Dun. We will consider Asian countries besides China, Korea and Japan as time permits.