A concert of his music and lectures to be given in Shanghai and Beijing after the ceremony, Chen Nan reports.

In a world where artistic boundaries often reflect cultural divides, an unexpected connection between two composers from different corners of the world has been created.

In 2023, as renowned composer Guo Wenjing was watching the 65th Grammy Awards ceremony, he learned of Kevin Puts, and the US composer's triple concerto Contact, written for string trio Time for Three. The concerto, which had just won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, featured on a Deutsche Grammophon recording by the trio, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Chinese-American conductor Xian Zhan, Letters for the Future.

Guo also learned that the collaborative process between Puts and Time for Three deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the poignant exploration of human connection and longing that resulted resonated with newfound significance in a world then marked by isolation and a yearning for contact.

"Before that, I had never heard his music. When I listened to Contact, I was very touched and impressed by his storytelling instinct, which made contemporary music accessible to a wider audience," says the 68-year-old, who is known for his contributions to contemporary Chinese music, and for having composed concertos and operas for both Western and Chinese instruments.

In a moment of cross-cultural recognition, Guo, who is the chairman of the jury of 1573 International Award for Best Composer, recommended Puts submit a piece to the competition organizers. The jury then decided to award Puts with the top prize and invite him to China.

The 1573 International Award for Best Composer was launched last year and the winners so far have been Hugues Dufourt from France and Chen Qigang from China. The jury is entirely composed of musicians, including Chinese conductor Zhang Yi and composer Hao Weiya. The award is part of the International Festival of Poetry & Liquor, which was started by well-known Chinese poet Jidi Majia in 2017.

"This award highlights Puts' ability to blend modern compositional techniques with elements that resonate with wider audiences, bridging a gap between the often abstract world of contemporary music and the traditional appeal of classical forms," says Guo. "For years, I have noticed that the audience feels a distance from contemporary music. It's not their fault. Composers should place more value on melodic clarity and structural elegance, which contrast with the dense, and sometimes obscure nature of much contemporary work."

On Sept 18, Puts will be in Shanghai to accept the award and will attend a concert of his music by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Yang Yang. He will also give lectures at both the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

Puts has chosen three pieces, including his debut opera, Silent Night, which won him the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music, and a short piece, Virelai, based on a melody written by the 14th-century French composer and poet Guillaume de Machaut.

"I have never worked with an orchestra in China and this is very exciting for me," he says. "Of course, with any orchestra, there is always a bit of time necessary to get used to my language as a composer. But my music is inspired by the great work of the past, so I hope the musicians find their parts playable, idiomatic, and satisfying, even when it's challenging."

The composer says that his wife, Lisa GiHae Kim, a violinist in the New York Philharmonic, toured eight cities in China, including Beijing, in 2018. He and their young son accompanied her. "It was a fascinating trip and I was eager to return," he says.

Born in 1972 in St Louis, Missouri, Puts has established himself as one of America's leading composers, gaining international acclaim.

Winner of numerous prestigious awards, he has had work commissioned, performed and recorded by leading ensembles, and soloists around the world, including Yo-Yo Ma, Renee Fleming, Jeffrey Kahane, Dame Evelyn Glennie, the New York Philharmonic, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Miro Quartet, and the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta, Colorado, Houston, Fort Worth, St Louis and Minnesota.

As a child, Puts enjoyed all kinds of orchestral music, which he listened to at home with his parents, ranging from Beethoven, to Bernstein, to music he heard at the cinema. One of his favorites was a piece written by John Williams. His journey into the world of composition began at the Eastman School of Music, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees.

"It's a composer's job to master every element of musical storytelling, from harmony, to rhythm, to orchestration, to pacing, to the development of the material," he says. "I want the audience to be with me. I don't aspire to confusion."

Puts' impact extends beyond his compositions; he is also recognized for his dedication to education and mentorship.

Since 2006, he has been a member of the composition faculty at the Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Institute, and will serve as Distinguished Visiting Composer at the Juilliard School this academic year. He will also return to his role as director of the Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute next year.

"My interest in teaching has always been to lightly guide every talented young composer on their journey. I want them to feel confident in their voice, to own it, to not be ashamed of their musical interests no matter what they are," Puts says. "I am interested in craft above all, no matter what the style is."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn