Tan Dun is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. He was born 18 August 1957 (age 68 years), in Changsha, China. Dun is a leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a pairing which has shaped much of his life and music. The operas he has composer include The Peony Pavilion, Tea: A Mirror of Soul, and his most recent is The First Emperor. He has written compositions that include instruments made of materials such as paper, stone or water. These include Water Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra, Water Passion After St Matthew, Earth Concerto for stone and ceramic percussion and orchestra. His most recent orchestral work is a symphonic poem for pianist Yuja Wang titles Farewell My Concubine for Peking Opera Soprano and Piano. He was awarded the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Film Score for Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
譚盾是一位美籍華裔作曲家和指揮家。他於1957年8月18日出生於中國長沙（現年68歲）。譚盾是當代古典音樂的領導人物，他的創作融合了東西方多種文化元素，這種融合深深影響了他的生活和音樂。他創作的歌劇包括《牡丹亭》、《茶：靈魂之鏡》以及最新的《秦始皇》。他也創作了一些運用紙、石、水等材料製成的樂器進行演奏的作品，例如《水協奏曲》（為水打擊樂器和管弦樂隊而作）、《聖馬太福音之後的水之激情》以及《大地協奏曲》（為石頭和陶瓷打擊樂器和管弦樂隊而作）。他最新的管弦樂作品是為鋼琴家王羽佳創作的交響詩《霸王別姬》（為京劇女高音和鋼琴而作）。他曾以李安導演的電影《臥虎藏龍》榮獲香港電影金像獎最佳原創配樂獎。
INTERNET SYMPHONY “EROICA” 互聯網交響曲“英雄”
In 2008, Google and YouTube commissioned Academy Award winner (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun to compose a new work — Internet Symphony “Eroica” — as part of the inaugural YouTube Symphony Orchestra project. Musicians from around the world were invited to audition by submitting videos of their interpretations of the Internet Symphony to be judged by members of leading international orchestras. There were more than 3,000 auditions from more than 70 countries. The project culminated in a performance at Carnegie Hall on April 15, 2009, that was webcast and is still available on YouTube. More than 22 million people from 200 countries on six continents have experienced Tan Dun’s feeling of a global music community which is encapsulated in his Internet Symphony “Eroica”.
網路交響曲“英雄”
2008年，Google和YouTube委託奧斯卡金像獎得主（《臥虎藏龍》）兼聯合國教科文組織親善大使譚盾創作了一部新作品——互聯網交響曲“英雄”，作為首屆YouTube交響樂團項目的一部分。來自世界各地的音樂家受邀參加試奏，提交他們演奏這部網路交響曲的視頻，由國際頂尖樂團的成員進行評判。該計畫共收到來自70多個國家的3000多件試奏作品。該計畫最終於2009年4月15日在卡內基音樂廳舉行了一場演出，並透過網路直播，至今仍可在YouTube上觀看。來自六大洲200個國家的超過2200萬人透過這部網路交響曲「英雄」體驗了譚盾所描繪的全球音樂社群的概念。
In the words of Tan Dun:
The Internet is an invisible Silk Road, joining different cultures from around the world. East or West, North or South, and this project has created a classical music phenomenon, bringing together musical heroes from all corners of the globe.
When I was conceiving this work, it was during the China Olympics. On the streets of New York, London, Beijing, Shanghai, I heard the noise of people cheering and moving around beautifully. I was passing by an automotive garage and I found three brake drums from different automobiles — these car parts — and it was a beautiful sound … and I realized this is the spirit of the young. This is the spirit of today.
– Program Note by Peter Stanley Martin, Autograph Editions, Series Editor
用譚盾的話來說：
網路是一條無形的絲綢之路，連接著世界各地不同的文化。無論東西南北，這個計畫都創造了一種古典音樂的盛況，將來自世界各地的音樂英雄匯聚一堂。
我構思這部作品時，正值中國奧運期間。在紐約、倫敦、北京、上海的街頭，我聽到人們歡呼雀躍、載歌載舞的聲音。我經過一家汽車修理廠，發現了三個來自不同汽車的煞車鼓——這些汽車零件——它們發出的聲音美妙極了……我意識到，這就是年輕人的精神，這就是當今的精神。
——彼得史丹利馬丁（Autograph Editions系列編輯）的節目單