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Cong Su

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Cong Su is a composer who was born in Tianjin, China, in 1957 and later went to live in Germany. From 1978 to 1982 he studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and then in Germany, at the music academy in Munich. There he learned music theory, music analysis, film music and ballet music, and later taught himself. Since 1991 he has been professor of film and media composition at the film academy in the Stuttgart region. He divides his time between Beijing, Lake Constance and Lucca in Italy.

Music and breakthrough

His best-known work is the music for The Last Emperor, Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film. Cong Su wrote that music together with Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Byrne. Together they won the Oscar for best original score. The soundtrack album The Last Emperor: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack received a Grammy in 1989 for best score for visual media.

Influence

After that he went on mainly writing film music, chiefly for Asian films. Examples are Green Tea in 2002 and Jasmine Women in 2004. In 2011 Empire of Silver appeared as a soundtrack album. His name thus stands for the musical bridge between East and West in the film world: a Chinese composer who trains and works in Europe.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to an excerpt from the soundtrack of The Last Emperor and notice how the music carries the scene. What mood does the sound evoke in you, and which instruments do you hear?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

Categories: Artists