TAN Dun is a composer and conductor, and a UNESCO Global Goodwill Ambassador. A graduate of the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, he holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Columbia University in New York and currently serves as Dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music and Honorary Artistic Director of the China National Symphony Orchestra. Committed to conveying world peace and environmental sustainability through his music, his artistic vision and creative output have had a profound impact on the international contemporary music scene. His numerous prestigious awards include the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, the German Bach Prize, the French Order of Arts and Letters, the Shostakovich Award, the Grawemeyer Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Istanbul International Music Festival.