Dr Gao Ping
Originally from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, China, Dr Gao learned the piano as a child and was composing by the age of 10. He explains that, while his undergraduate studies focused on western classical music, the folk culture and arts in Chengdu had a profound influence on his musical sensibilities. 'Across from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu was the School of Sichuan Opera. I could be practising Beethoven and from the open window of my practice room the sounds of singing and percussions from the Sichuan opera could be heard at the same time.'
Following his degree he moved to the United States to complete his doctorate and lived there for 12 years learning the works of the western masters. 'But in the back of my consciousness was the Chinese culture and music that was part of my upbringing. It didn't surface again until about ten years ago,' he says.
'When I moved away from China, like anybody, I missed things, and it made me more aware of my identity. It is easier to look into my culture from outside; it's become a fascination for me, whereas if I was living in China it might not be so.'
Dr Gao's concert performances are renowned for their flamboyance. 'I like to include theatrical pieces,' he says. 'That can mean singing, reciting poems, whistling and dramatic gesture such as shouting or clapping.'
It was in 2003 while touring New Zealand, performing a mix of New Zealand and Chinese contemporary music, that Dr Gao first came to Christchurch. 'I liked the city very much. I made some friends while I was here and stayed in touch with them. When the position at UC came up in 2004 they encouraged me to apply.'
While the ambition to be a concert pianist had dominated his early career, composition became a focus 'more seriously and more often.' Explaining why he enjoys it so much, Dr Gao says 'it allows me to be creative while practising discipline. It allows me to live through my work rather than live from my work'.
That mix of creativity and discipline is important in his teaching. 'Students have to attack both areas. I'm teaching positive discipline so they can exercise their brains to think about what they're aiming for and to use the correct notation techniques, but at the same time free their imagination.
'I also want to open up options for students and to awaken them to the wealth of different music from a wide range of traditions. I want to give them the tools to work with, but let them decide the direction they want to take.'
Asked what he enjoys most about UC, Dr Gao's reply is unequivocal. 'My students.'
He advises anyone considering studying music and composition that it is a difficult subject, most likely with very little financial reward. 'You must love it so much that it feels as important as breathing. But ultimately it is rewarding because you learn about yourself and others through the study of it.'