Composer Alive: Eastern Expressions is a 60 minute documentary film by David Less and 100 Fires Films about ACM's 2006 collaboration with Beijing composer Xiaogang Ye as part of Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Chicago project.

The film follows the collaboration from ACM's first web searches for a Chinese composer to Xiaogang Ye's journey to Chicago for the final concert and World Premiere of his new piece Datura. The narrative focuses on the ensemble as they search the internet for a Chinese composer, struggle to raise money and awareness of the project and overcome countless obstacles along the way.

It is also a meditation on the incredible popularity of contemporary Classical music in today's China following the fall of Mao's Cultural Revolution.

Engaging, informative, timely and often humorous, Composer Alive: Eastern Expressions is a film about music, culture and how technology can bring people on opposite sides of the world together.



The film is posted in seven installments, click on one below to watch it.

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