Asian Americans in Classical Music

Since the 1970s, Asian Americans have been gaining ground in the genre of classical music. “Asians comprise less than 5 percent of the total population of the United States, but at prestigious music conservatories, such as Juilliard, Eastman, Curtis, and the New England Conservatory, they make up a disproportionately high percentage of the student body.” [1] But this fact seems like a paradox. Why is it that so many Asian Americans, especially those of East Asian descent, occupy spaces in these prestigious schools of classical music, a genre that originated in the high society of Western Europe? “Asians’ success in this field is often thought to exemplify their assimilation into Euroamerican culture.” [1]
But does this seemingly successful assimilation mean that Asian American classical musicians have a strong political voice? According to Yoshihara, they do not. “Although Asian American musicians relate in different ways to cultural elements they identify as Asian, on the whole, most are not active in Asian American organizations or engaged in exploring political or cultural issues related to their Asian identity. Many are simply too busy practicing and performing to have time for such activities. Having spent as much as eight or ten hours every day practicing since early childhood and having placed a priority on music almost all their lives, these musicians tend to be removed not only from Asian American activism but also from any issues not directly connected to their lives as musicians.” [1]

According to Mari Yoshihara [1] there are different classifications for Asian American Classical musicians:
• Asian American
o Merely a descriptive rather than political/social identity
o Many are sheltered in conservatories
• International
o “discovered” by American teachers
• Immigrant Geniuses
o Midori
• Migrant Performers
• Transnational Offspring
• “Hybrid” Asians


Asian American Classical Musicians
• Akira Tana [2]
o Born March 14, 1952 in San Jose California
o Self taught drummer
o Studied Jazz drumming
o Has worked with Al Cohn, Tete Montoliu, Spike Robinson, James moody, Dizzy Gillespie
• Yo Yo Ma [3]
o Born October 7, 1955 in Paris, France
o Took up cello at age 4
o Performed for JFK, with Leonard Bernstein by age 15
o Plays in Silk Road Ensemble
o Known for his smooth, rich tones and well considered for his virtuosity
o Has won several Grammys for various works on albums
• Midori Goto [4]
o Born October 25, 1971 in Osaka, Japan
o Taught violin by her mother
o Moved to New York to study at Juilliard
o Legendary performance at Tanglewood at 14
• Sarah Chang [5]
o Born December 10, 1980 in Philadelphia, PA
o Admitted to Juilliard School at 6
o By 8 was accepted to play with New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra
• Kyung-wha Chung [6]
o Born Mrach 26, 1948 in Seoul, South Korea
o Fame peaked in 70s when she was performing with Zukerman and Perlman
o By age 9 was playing with Seoul Philharmonic
o Moved to US at 13 to study at Juilliard
• Margaret Leng Tan [7]
o Born in 1945 in Singapore
o Studied at Juilliard at 16
o Most famous for performing on toy pianos and other unconventional instruments
o Pioneer in prepared piano playing
o Met John Cage in 1981 and worked together for 11 years
• Vanessa Mae [8]
o Born October 27, 1978 in Singapore
o Moved to England when 4 years old and known for making regular appearances on TV shows
o Violinist
o International professional debut in 1988
o Broke away from traditional classical music to enter pop music scene; appeared in Janet Jackson’s “Velvet Rope”
• Lang Lang [9]
o Born June 14, 1982 in Shenyang, China
o Began playing piano at age 3
o By age 5, won Shenyang Piano Competition and performed first public recital
o Featured soloist at China’s National Symphony’s inaugural concert at age 14
o Made Carnegie Hall debut in 2001 to sold out audience
o Performances are love by some, but reviled by others citing inexcusable, soggy rhythms and heavy phrasing
o Was a feature of the 2008 Beijing Olympics’ opening ceremonies
• Seiji Ozawa [10]
o Born September 1, 1935 in Shenyang, China to Japanese parents
o Because of sports injury, could not play piano so turned to conducting
o Became music director of Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1973, a position he held for 29 years
o Has also conducted the Metropolitan Opera, the Berlin Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, and Vienna Philharmonic
• Zubin Mehta [11]
o Born April 29, 1936 in Bombay (Mumbai), India
o Father was founding conductor of Bombay Symphony Orchestra
o Made conducting debut in 1958 in Vienna, and was then appointed assistant conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
o Became musical director and principal conductor of New York Philharmonic in 1978
• Tan Dun [12]
o Born August 18, 1957 in Changsha, China
o Composer most known for composing scores to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero
o Studied at Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Columbia
o Incorporates influences form upbringing in China, his classical training at conservatory, and contemporary composers in New York into compositions


Classical Music with Asian American Themes
• Pucinni’s Turandot
o Title comes from Persian word meaning “the daughter of Turan”; Turan is a region in Central Asia
o Puccini strove for a semblance of Asian authenticity so many influences from traditional Chinese can be heard
o Was banned in China for many years because the government saw it as an unfavorable portrayal of China
• Puccini’s Madame Butterfly
o Based on book about events that occurred in Nagasaki in early 1890s



References:
[1] - Yoshihara, Mari. Musicians from a Different Shore : Asians and Asian Americans in Classical Music.
[2] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/akira_tana
[3] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/yo_yo_ma
[4] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/modori_gotō
[5] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Chang
[6] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyung_Wha_Chung
[7] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Leng_Tan
[8] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanessa_Mae
[9] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lang_Lang_(pianist)
[10] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiji_Ozawa
[11] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubin_Mehta
[12] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Dun