China, 1957
Tan Dun
A Chinese classical composer. He won the Oscar for Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
He grew up in the countryside during the Cultural Revolution, playing and collecting folk music. He studied at the Beijing Conservatory and then in New York. His concert works and operas were already known when Ang Lee commissioned Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which won him the Oscar, the Grammy and the BAFTA. With Zhang Yimou he made Hero. He later turned these scores into orchestral works.
- Style
- Western orchestra with Chinese instruments and percussion, and the cello as the leading voice.
- Awards
- Oscar, Grammy and BAFTA for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Essential films
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Search Spotify
- Hero (2002) Search Spotify
- The Banquet (2006) Search Spotify
Awards counted up to the 2026 Academy Awards. Facts reviewed in October 2026.