Muhai Tang

{{short description|Chinese conductor (born 1949)}}

{{Western name order|Tang Muhai}}

{{family name hatnote|Tang|lang=Chinese}}

Muhai Tang ({{zh|s=汤沐海 |t=湯沐海 |p=Tāng Mùhǎi}}; born 1949 in Shanghai) is a Chinese conductor.{{Citation |last=Unterfinger |first=Markus |title=Muhai Tang - Im Ozean der Musik |date=2010-10-02 |type=Documentary |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1826761/ |access-date=2024-05-09 |publisher=Kaspar Winkler, Schweizer Fernsehen (SF), TILT Production}} He is the youngest son of celebrated Chinese film director Tang Xiaodan and brother of painter and poet Tang Muli.

Tang initially learned music with his parents, and later studied composition and conducting at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, receiving his diploma in both.{{Cite web |title=Muhai Tang in the Ocean of Music |url=https://www.medici.tv/en/documentaries/muhai-tang-in-the-ocean-of-music |access-date=2024-05-09 |website=Available in the Play Store |language=en-US}} He furthered his studies in conducting with Hermann Michael at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, Germany.{{Cite web |title=Muhai Tang {{!}} APM - Alessandro Panetto Management |url=https://apmanagement.eu/muhai-tang/ |access-date=2024-05-09 |language=en}}

His international career started when Herbert von Karajan invited him to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra during the 1983–1984 season.{{Cite web |title=Maestro fulfilling dream of homeland |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2016-01/01/content_22894338.htm |access-date=2024-05-09 |website=www.chinadaily.com.cn}} This invitation was later renewed. He was the chief conductor of the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon from 1988 until 2001.{{Cite web |title=Portuguese Music Research & Information Centre |url=http://www.mic.pt/dispatcher?where=1&what=2&show=0&interprete_id=95&lang=EN |access-date=2024-05-09 |website=www.mic.pt}} From 1991 to 1995, he was chief conductor of DePhilharmonie (now known as the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra). He made his US debut with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in 1988.

In 1991{{cite magazine|magazine=Meet the Music |title=Muhai Tang |date=August 1991 |publisher=Playbill Pty for Sydney Symphony Orchestra}} Tang was chief conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO), the last chief conductor prior to the orchestra's renaming as the Queensland Orchestra. In November 2005, he became the orchestra's conductor laureate.The orchestra has since reverted to the name of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, effective 2010.

From 2003 to 2006, Tang served as Chief Conductor of the Finnish National Opera.{{cite news | author=Vesa Sirén | title=Muhai Tang the unanimous choice at National Opera | url=http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20020528IE17 | work=Helsingin Sanomat | date=28 May 2002 | accessdate=2008-03-30 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627183037/http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20020528IE17 | archivedate=27 June 2008 }} From 2006 to 2011, Tang was artistic director and principal conductor of the Zürcher Kammerorchester (Zurich Chamber Orchestra), and became principal guest conductor in 2011. From 2010 until 2015, he was chief conductor of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra.

As conductor, he was awarded the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for Christopher Rouse's Concert de Gaudí.