Zou Hang (China) represents the ‘new generation’ of Chinese composers. He has won the Gaudeamus international prize for composition, the Best Music for Dance Drama award at the Fifth National Water Lily Prize Dancing Competition, the 2001 Golden Bell prize for composition and poetry, a gold medal at the Ninth Guangdong Art Festival, and the Excellent Work award at the Sixth Music Competition of Taiwan Symphony Orchestra.

Zou Hang was one of seven composers whose works were performed at the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The following works by Zou were performed on that occasion: Jing Cai, a symphony prelude; Nanjing 1937, a dance drama; Eighteen Arhats, a work for a large chamber orchestra; Monks Leaping over Walls (for the Chinese Traditional Folk Symphony Orchestra); Sanyin Sixi, Zheng chamber music; When the Audience Are Happy, a piano quintet; and The Distance of Jazz, a piano solo. His works have been performed in the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Korea.

Drunk Dancing Devarajas, a patron saint of Tibetan Buddhism and serious deterrent to the hideous face of the devil. Just imagine the mythic image that the humans were supposed to make: in the solemn body of a god, with feelings and colours characteristic of human nature, the unity of man and god; I was thinking about it when I was drunk – perhaps it has a different style and humour.

The inspiration and material of this music stem from Tibet’s traditional folk music. Zou Hang has produced various arrangements of Drunk Dancing Devarajas, including the large ensemble version that was performed by Beijing New Ensemble at the Agama Ensemble’s concert in China and the ensemble version performed by newear Contemporary Chamber Ensemble in the ‘China Rising’ Concert in America. This work is a favourite with every audience. Tonight’s version was arranged by Zou for Chinese traditional folk instruments.