Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Doctoral Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Department

Music

First Committee Member

Timothy Hoft

Second Committee Member

Mykola Suk

Third Committee Member

Richard Miller

Fourth Committee Member

Andrew Smith

Fifth Committee Member

Katrina Liu

Number of Pages

89

Abstract

This study focuses on Zhang Zhao’s solo piano work Pi–Huang and explores how Chinese traditional operatic culture is expressed through the piano as a Western instrument. As a piano work with a strong Chinese cultural background, Pi–Huang connects directly to the pihuang vocal system of Beijing opera and shows important elements of Chinese traditional music in its melody, rhythm, timbre, texture, and structure. This dissertation examines the historical and cultural background of pihuang, analyzes the musical language of the work, and discusses its interpretation in performance practice. It focuses especially on pentatonic materials, operatic melodic lines, rhythmic features, timbral images of Chinese traditional instruments, and dramatic expression in the overall structure. This study argues that Pi–Huang is not simply a surface use of Chinese operatic elements, but a deeper transformation of the spirit of Chinese opera through the piano. By combining the characteristics of pihuang, Chinese traditional musical language, and modern piano writing, Zhang Zhao creates a work that keeps a clear Chinese cultural identity while also showing new expressive possibilities in contemporary piano music. Therefore, Pi–Huang is an important case for the study, performance, and teaching of Chinese–style piano works.

Controlled Subject

Piano music; Music--Chinese influences; Music appreciation

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Music | Music Performance

File Format

PDF

File Size

2600 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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