Preferred Name
Ziwei Zhou
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Date of Graduation
5-15-2026
Semester of Graduation
Spring
Degree Name
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
Department
School of Music
First Advisor
Gabriel Dobner
Second Advisor
Katherine Axtell
Third Advisor
Jason Haney
Abstract
The piano arrived in China in the early 1900s. Over the past century, Chinese piano music has moved from early imitation to the sophisticated and diverse styles we see today. For Chinese composers, the main challenge has always been how to balance Western techniques with Chinese traditions and their own unique voices. To address these challenges, Zhang Zhao (b.1964) stands out for his ability to turn traditional heritage into a modern piano language. After a summary of the history of Chinese piano literature, this study examines his Chinese Dream (2014) through his “Three Transformations” philosophy: (1) Western techniques for Chinese expression, adapting Western compositional methods to convey Chinese cultural and spiritual values; (2) traditional heritage for personal voice, transforming folk traditions into an individual musical language rooted in cultural identity; and (3) personal creation for universal values, moving beyond individual expression to communicate fundamental human ideals of truth, virtue, and beauty. The analysis focuses on three aspects of the work. First, it discusses how the structure follows the Song-dynasty Daqu tradition instead of Western models. Second, it analyzes Zhang’s harmonic language, specifically his use of pentatonic systems and interval-based harmony. Finally, the study shows how Zhang uses the piano to emulate the sounds of traditional instruments like the bianzhong, guzheng, guqin, and yangqin. By combining score analysis with history, this document argues that Chinese Dream illustrates how modern composers can maintain a native musical voice in a globalized world.
Included in
Musicology Commons, Music Performance Commons, Music Theory Commons
