The MacArthur Fellow Composer/conductor Bright Sheng was born in Shanghai, and moved to New York in l982. He is currently the Leonard Bernstein Distinguished University Professor at University of Michigan.

His music ranges from dramatic to lyrical and is strongly influenced by the folk and classical music tradition from Asia. Recently he has been studying and researching the music phenomenon of the Silk Road culture. And he also serves as the Artistic Advisor of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project Inc.

Sheng has collaborated with distinguished musicians. His music has been widely performed in the United States, Europe and in Asia. As a conductor and pianist, he has performed with many famous symphonies, and has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center.