Composer Spotlight-Xingziman Pan

Get to Know....Xingzimin Pan

This week, we're featuring Xingziman Pan, whose work Kaidan, for flute and piano, won an honorable mention in the 2014 FNMC Composition Competition. He created such interesting colors between the flute and piano in Kaidan, including some really unique sounds created by playing directly on the strings, that I wasn't surprised that timbre is really important to Xing!

Q&A with Xing
Who is/are your favorite “new music” composer/s and why?
Kaija Saariaho. To me, timbre is a very important element in "new music" and I found some of Saariaho's music inspired me significantly in finding new timbres.

What is/are your favorite “new music” piece/s and why?
One of the newest musical compositions that impresses me a lot is Unsuk Chin's opera Alice in Wonderland. I never thought this story could be told in this way, which is unexpected yet very convincing.

Describe your musical background and current activities.
I am now studying for my PhD in Composition at the University of Utah. Last year, I received a commission to compose a choral piece for a top Chinese university for its 110th anniversary celebration, and somehow it was pretty successful, so more choral music commissions from China came, and are still coming after that. I never expect this, but I think I am now been dragged into the choral music business. And this might be my main focus these years. I am trying to bring new timbres and new ways of musical expression into choral music, especially China's new choral music. 

More About Xing.....
Xingzimin Pan’s music has been performed in major cities in the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, Australia and China. He is also the recipient of Awards the from 1st FNMC Composition Contest, 2nd IFCM International Composition Competition, and the 4th China-ASEAN Music Festival Composition Competition. His scores are published by Hayo Music, Baplo Music Publishing, Shanghai Conservatory of Music Press, and Schott Music. Pan received BA in Music from Central China Normal University and MM in Composition from University of Northern Iowa. He is now studying for the Ph.D degree in Composition at University of Utah, where he also works as a teaching assistant and sound engineer. As an emerging choral music composer, Pan was appointed Composer-in-Residence of Echo Chamber Singers in 2015. For more information visit his website.

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