Music Production Teacher,The Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao

Guest Lecturer & Postgraduate Supervisor, Conservatorium of Music, University of Waikato, NZ

Film Composer and sound designer

SOUNZ Member

Xu Tang graduated from the University of Waikato Conservatorium of Music, where he studied composition under Prof. Martin Lodge, Associate Prof. Michael Williams, and Prof. Gao Ping. He holds a Doctorate, Master’s, and Bachelor’s with Honours in Composition, and has over a decade of international experience in music creation and production. His creative work spans film scoring, video game audio, and orchestral music. He previously served as Music Director and Senior Sound Designer at companies such as Tuyoo Games, BOKE, and Kepler Space Industries Limited. Since 2016, he has composed music and sound for internationally renowned film and game companies including Tencent, Supercell, Sohu, Perfect World, Happy Elements, ReBlink, and Vertex Zero.

He has received numerous awards in international composition competitions, including:

Honorary First Prize, Leopold Auer International Composition Competition, St. Petersburg, Russia (2018)

Winner, Osmose Intermezzo International Composition Competition, Belgium (2017)

Winner, RMN Classical International Composition Competition, United Kingdom

Third Prize, New Vision Composition Competition of Chopin & Friends International Music Festival, USA

Winner, RMN Classical International Recording Competition, United Kingdom

First Prize, Lilburn Trust Composition Competition, New Zealand (2013, 2014, 2018)

Winner, NZTrio National Composition Competition, New Zealand (2017)

His works have been released by Atoll Records (New Zealand) and RMN Classical (UK), and performed by leading international orchestras and ensembles, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Chamber Orchestra, Hillcrest Symphony Orchestra, Westlake Symphony Orchestra, University of Michigan Cello Ensemble, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, NZTrio, and the New Zealand Chamber Soloists.

His original film scores have been featured at festivals including the Wellington Animation Film Festival, SIGGRAPH 2025 Computer Animation Festival, and the Imagine This International Women’s Film Festival in New York. His chamber and orchestral works have been presented on international stages such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Sydney Opera House, St. Petersburg Tchaikovsky Arts Festival, Waikato International Cello Festival, Evere Cultural Centre (Belgium), Renaiss Hall (Japan), Stamps Auditorium at the University of Michigan, The Piano Centre for Music and the Arts (Christchurch), Raye Freedman Arts Centre (Auckland), as well as on tours with the New Zealand Chamber Soloists in China and the Isomura duo in Asia.

Xu has collaborated with many internationally acclaimed artists and producers, including Richard Aaron (Professor, Juilliard School), Santiago Cañón-Valencia (Silver Medalist, Tchaikovsky International Competition), Matthias Balzat (Silver Medalist, Schünfeld International String Competition), James Jin (Violin Lecturer, University of Auckland), Steven Saunders (Miniature Model Art Director of Blade Runner 2049), and Grammy-nominated producer Wayne Laird.

In the field of music education, he has more than ten years of extensive teaching experience across composition, orchestration, computer music production, game audio, film scoring, and songwriting. He has conducted lectures, workshops, and group classes at international music festivals, working with students of diverse ages and cultural backgrounds. His teaching philosophy emphasizes inspiring creativity and fostering technical growth, with the goal of cultivating well-rounded musicians.