COMPOSERS from China

Top 3

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Chinese Composers of all time. This list of famous Chinese Composers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Boris Blacher (1903 - 1975)

With an HPI of 53.28, Boris Blacher is the most famous Chinese Composer.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages on wikipedia.

Boris Blacher (19 January [O.S. 6 January] 1903 – 30 January 1975) was a German composer and librettist.

2. Nie Er (1912 - 1935)

With an HPI of 52.04, Nie Er is the 2nd most famous Chinese Composer.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Nie Er (14 February 1912 – 17 July 1935), born Nie Shouxin, courtesy name Ziyi (子義 or 紫藝), was a Chinese composer best known for "March of the Volunteers", the national anthem of People's Republic of China. In numerous Shanghai magazines, he went by the English name George Njal, after a character in Njal's Saga.

3. Tan Dun (1957 - )

With an HPI of 49.95, Tan Dun is the 3rd most famous Chinese Composer.  His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Tan Dun (Chinese: 谭盾; pinyin: Tán Dùn, Mandarin pronunciation: [tʰǎn tu̯ə̂n]; born 18 August 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a dichotomy which has shaped much of his life and music. Having collaborated with leading orchestras around the world, Tan is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Grawemeyer Award for his opera Marco Polo (1996) and both an Academy Award and Grammy Award for his film score in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). His oeuvre as a whole includes operas, orchestral, vocal, chamber, solo and film scores, as well as genres that Tan terms "organic music" and "music ritual." Born in Hunan, China, Tan grew up during the Cultural Revolution and received musical education from the Central Conservatory of Music. His early influences included both Chinese music and 20th-century classical music. Since receiving a DMA from Columbia University in 1993, Tan has been based in New York City. His compositions often incorporate audiovisual elements; use instruments constructed from organic materials, such as paper, water, and stone; and are often inspired by traditional Chinese theatrical and ritual performance. In 2013, he was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.