Xu Shuya
Born in Changchun city, Jilin Province, 1961. Xu Shuya, graduated in the Department of Composi-tion and Conducting of Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1983, and started his teaching career in the conservatory after graduation. In 1988, Xu went to French to further his study and got a Master of Composition in Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris and then a Doctorate of Composition in Conser-vatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. Thereafter he lived and worked in France for over 20 years.
Xu’s first composition, Violin Concertos, won the first prize at the Alexander Tcherepnin Foundation Composition Competition. Xu also won the first prize at the 5th Besanson International Symphony Composition Competition with his symphony Sunset & Crystal, which was chosen as the required per-formance for contestants joining in the final of the 43th Besanson International Conducting Competi-tion, and voted as one of Chinese music classics in the 20th century. His electronic music work, Taiyi II won the second prize at the 21th Bourges International Electronic Music Composition Competition in France (the first prize is in vacancy), the second prize at the 15th Luzi Rusoro International Electronic Music Composition Competition in Italy (the first prize is in vacancy), as well as the “Yoshiro Irino Music Award” in Tokyo, Japan. Monkey King, the musical theater, was honored as the National Five Top Project award. Snow of Winter, an Oboe Concerto, was honored as the Outstanding Original Work at the 32th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
In 2009, Xu started to teach in China after coming back from France. Xu was the president of Shang-hai Conservatory of Music from 2009 to 2014. He was appointed music director of the opening and closing ceremonies of World Expo 2010, Shanghai, China.
Xu was the Chairman of Shanghai Musician Association At present, he is the Director of Shanghai Spring International Music Festival Arts Council. He is also professor of composition and electronic music and doctoral supervisor in Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Xu is the first convener of “Music and dancology” program consultative group in State Council’s Aca-demic Degree’s Committee, and the Associate Director of Undergraduate Teaching and Steering Com-mittee subject to “Music and dancology” program in Education Ministry. The Association President of Shanghai Overseas Friendship. The Association President of Shanghai Overseas returned scholars association.Chairman of the cultural and art branch. Director of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Music Acoustics.
Xu has been many commissions of composition and his works be played including Wien Radio Sym-phony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Gavenburg Symphony Orchestra of Sweden, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, New York Philharmonic, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Or-chestra, the Opéra de Marseille, Ensemble InterContemporain, Klaugforum, Ensemble Contrechamp, Nieuw Ensemble, Ensemble 2e2m, Itineraire, and China’s Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Shanghai Sym-phony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, China National Opera House, Shanghai Opera House, Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Guangxi Symphony Orchestra, etc.
Xu’s composition covers such areas as opera, symphony, dance drama, musical play, electronic mu-sic and film music. He was incorporated in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and the Dictionary of Musicians in the 20th Century. His music pieces were released by Kairos (Germany), Telos music UG (Germany), Naxos, SACEM/SACD (France), Luigi Lussolo Foundation (Italy), ZEBRA (the Nether-lands) and others. His score is released by Henry Lemoine & Jobert (France).