About the author Chen Qigang Chen Qigang, the main composer of the Olympic theme song and the music director of the Olympic opening ceremony, is one of the few Chinese composers who is extremely active on the world music stage.
Over the past ten years, his works have won many international awards. With his advocacy and help, the preliminaries of the world-famous Besan?on International Young Conductors Competition were moved from Japan to Beijing.
In 2005, he won the "Grand Prize for Symphonic Music", known as the "French Nobel Prize for Music".
Chen Qigang, the songwriter of "You and Me" and "You?and?me", the theme song of the 2008 Olympic Games opening ceremony. Chen Qigang is a Chinese composer who is well-known in the music circles of France, Europe and even the world.
He has a classical poet-like temperament, insists on composing women with his own music, and integrates traditional Chinese elements into modern Western compositions, which has attracted more and more attention from domestic audiences.
? Born in Shanghai on August 28, 1951, born out of the influence and good training of an artistic family.
In 1973, he graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music's clarinet major, and in 1983, he graduated from the Composition Department of the Central Conservatory of Music with excellent grades (studying with Luo Zhongrong).
In 1984, he went to France and was appreciated by the 20th century music master Messiaen (Olivier MESSIAEN), who made an exception and became his disciple.
? He is one of the few Chinese composers who is extremely active on the world music stage today.
For more than ten years, his works have won many international awards. In 1998, he served as chairman of the jury of the famous International Besan?on Composition Competition.
In 1999, he served as the artistic consultant of the Paris Music City. In 2000, the Messiaen International Piano Competition established a special performance award for Chen Qigang's works.
With his advocacy and help, the preliminaries of the world-famous Besancon International Youth Conducting Competition were moved from Japan to Beijing.
In recent years, Chen Qigang has shown an increasing interest in traditional Chinese music and collaborated with Zhang Yimou and the National Ballet of China to create the ballet "Raise the Red Lantern."
On July 20, the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee held an appointment ceremony to award 25 chief designers of various creative groups, 30 directors of various studios, and 144 other professional art and technical personnel who have worked in the Beijing Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremony Operation Center for more than half a year.
The staff were officially hired, and the title of "Chief Music Designer" was awarded to Chen Qigang, a Chinese composer living in France whose ancestral home is Taizhou.
The catalog of major works includes: "Memories" (1985) for flute and harp, "Dream Journey" (1987) for chamber music sextet, "Water Melody Songtou" (1990) for male voice and chamber orchestra, "A Ray of Light" (
1993) Flute and orchestra, "The Passing Time" (1995-1996)? Cello and symphony orchestra, "Five Elements" (1999)? Grand Symphony Orchestra, "Raise the Red Lantern" (2000)? Ballet music, "Butterfly"
"Love Flower" (2001) Concerto for National Chamber Music and Grand Symphony Orchestra, "Walking to the West Exit" (2003) for string orchestra, "A French Woman's Dream" (2004-2005) for soprano, clarinet and orchestra, "Invisible"
"Voice" (2005) six voices and orchestra.