Bright Sheng guest conducted the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra Oct. 24 & 25, 2009
(Bright Sheng's) persnickety attention to detail - and the orchestra's concentration - resulted in a sound that was more precise than audiences have heard from the group in a while. Their performance was bold, challenging and ultimately rewarding. read more
Bright Sheng as Composer, Pianist, and Conductor with Eastern Music Festival July 10th-20th. 2009
"Sheng as Composer and Conductor with EMF's Eastern Symphony Orchestra...The Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky...Sheng's phrasing and tempo choices seemed ideal and his players followed every shift of dynamics or pacing. ...Sheng's conducting of the third, waltz-like movement was the most memorable I have heard." read more
-- William Thomas Walker
Classical Voice of North Carolina
"Sheng, ... Tibetan Swing, is an energetic work of a largely rhythmic nature. Conducting without a baton in a lively and bouncy manner, Maestro Sheng was the very personification of the music, with its mixed meters, wide-ranging drum beats and effervescent colors. ...This was a very enjoyable piece; Maestro Sheng’s ebullient conducting style matched the music perfectly!" read more
-- Peter Perret
Classical Voice of North Carolina
Sheng, Jessica Guideri (violin), Jeremy Preston (violin), Danielle Farina (viola), and Neal Cary (cello) played Dvorák’s Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81.
"...Sheng’s piano skills came to the fore with playing that absolutely sparkled. The strange hymn-like passage toward the end of the piece was heavenly and made the final rush to the end that much more effective..." read more
-- Tim Lindeman
Classical Voice of North Carolina
Bright Sheng New CD The Phoenix Review:
"The scintillating performance by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra under Gerard Schwarz, a longtime champion of contemporary music, of four works by Bright Sheng (b. Shanghai, 1955) show clearly why this composer is a great favorite among present-day musicians. He has a penchant for treating traditional instruments of the orchestra in non-traditional ways that today’s generation of young musicians find stimulating and challenging. And his rhythmic vocabulary will keep everyone (the audience included) on their toes..." read more
-- Phil Muse
Sequenza 21 / The Contemporary Music Community
The Harp Concerto World Premiere: Never Far Away (October 24-26, 2008)
Sheng with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and conductor Jahja Ling
after the world premiere of the harp concerto
Never Far Away on Telarc released on August 25th. 2009
CD Review:
‘Never Far Away’ never far from excellence by Valerue Scher from SDNN
An important and magnificent new concerto, not to be missed. by Steven Ritter from Classical CD Reviews - Audiophile Audition
"...The harp outlined the Chinese folk tunes and simultaneously sheathed them in a modal harmonic tunic…As an atmospheric tone poem, Sheng’s new opus has much to recommend…subtle combinations of fleeting harp themes accompanied by celesta ostinatos, or gentle woodwind melodies floating over soft string accompaniment…"
by the sandiego.com
Never Far Away was selected as the highlight of the year of 2008 in classical music by San Diego Union Tribune:
"With much of the orchestra's repertoire focused on the core classics, (Never Far Away) a world premiere by the highly regarded Bright Sheng was a welcome breath of fresh air. And the orchestra is recording the work in early January for Telarc, its first recording in years on an international label." read more
by San Diego Union Tribune
The subsequent performances of Never Far Away let by the Dallas Symphony in January (Leonard Slatkin) and the Grand Rapid Symphony (Bright Sheng) in April 2009.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra premiere of Never Far Away (having a great time with Maestro Slatkin before the performance)
Sheng Conducting Detroit Symphony Orchestra on October 17 & 18, 2008
Concert programs:
PROKOFIEV War and Peace Overture
BRIGHT SHENG Nanking! Nanking!
BRIGHT SHENG Tibetan Swing
PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2
"Music leads DSO to China... Sheng proved an effective advocate on the podium, drawing fiercely committed and intense playing from the DSO and turning quickly from bracing climaxes to finely etched details. The strings swelled with emotion and the many individual obbligatos across the orchestra spoke with character." read more
-- Mark Stryker
Detroit Free Press Music Critic
"DSO and multi-talented Sheng forge an epic... the Detroit Symphony Orchestra delivered a concert Friday morning that was everything a modern-day orchestra program should be. It was imaginative, surprising, inspiring and beautiful." read more
-- Lawrence B. Johnson
Special to The Detroit News
Sheng's conducting debut with Detroit Symphony Orchestra was selected as the highlight of 2008 in classical music by Detroit FREE PRESS
"Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Bright Sheng, composer and conductor. Oct. 17-18: Sheng's searing "Nanking! Nanking!" had a devastating impact while defining the composer's profound fusion of Western and Chinese idioms." read more
-- Mark Stryker
Free Press Music Critic
Madame Mao World Premiered by Santa Fe Opera in July 2005
Opera in two acts (2003)
Premiered by Santa Fe Opera in July 2005
Commissioned by Santa Fe Opera
Libretto by Colin Graham
Duration: 120 minutes
“Sheng’s… formidable technical skills and intriguing musical voice was not once in doubt during this opera about Jiang Ching, the ruthless wife of Mao Zedong…The orchestral writing is brilliant.”
— The New York Times
More Critical Acclaim on Madam Mao
