The Composition Department of CCOM assembled renowned composers and scholars from the former Composition Theory Department of Qingmuguan National Conservatory of Music, former Composition Theory Section in Music Department of Yanching University, former Composition Theory Section in Music Department of Beiping National Arts School, and oversea returned talents as its initial faculty. Since 1950, all the previous Chairs are: Jiang Dingxian, Wang Zhenya, Du Mingxin, Dai Hongwei, Mou Hong, Liu Kanghua, GuoWenjing and Tang Jianping.

    The Composition Department aims at producing professional composers and composition theory talents. The composition teaching system, with composition specialized courses as the core and harmony, counterpoint, form and composition analysis, orchestration, sight-singing and ear-training, electronic music, modern music composition, and other music analysis and study courses as supporting parts, is an integration of teaching, research as well as composition serving for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students. In 1982, composition and composition theory group of CCOM was authorized to grant master’s degree by Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, PRC. In 1988, the section was further approved as doctoral degree-granting station.

    The six teaching groups of composition department (composition, counterpoint, harmony, music form and composition analysis, orchestration, sight-singing and ear-training) are in charge of the teaching and academic research on these six directions, compulsory and optional courses of which are provided for all students in the department. The teaching contents cover not only European traditional composition and composition theory in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but also new composition techniques, new concepts, new theories, and new systems since the twentieth century; not onlyexplorecomposition theories and draw on composing experience of foreign composers in different times, but also summarize the features of Chinese music style and Chinese composers’achievements. Since 1950s, considerable researches have been done intensively and productively into Chinese style, which Chinese composers have striven to explore and pursue in their composition. Thus, the department has formed ateaching system of its own features.

     The academic leaders in different fields in composition department, such as Wu Zuqiang, Du Mingxin, GuoWenjing, Ye Xiaogang, Tang Jianping, LuoXinmin, Qin Wenchen, JiaGuoping and HaoWeiya in composition, Wu Shikai, Liu Kanghua, and Huang Shuqing in harmony, Yang Ruhuai, Li Jiti, Yao Henglu and Xiang Min in composition analysis, DuanPingtai, Yu Suxian, Yang Yong and Gong Xiaoting in counterpoint, Liu Lin, GuoWeiguo and Dong Liqiang in orchestration, and Zhao Yishan, He Zhuoya and Wang He insight-singing and ear-training,have had wide influence in China and around the world.

      In the past six decades, the composition department had cultivated numerous music talents for China and the world, many of whom have become distinguished composers. Their contributions to art and composition have been of great significance to the development of composition and music education both in China and the world.

      The Composition Department nowhas 30teachers, including 14 professors, 12 associate professors and4 lecturers. Among them, there are 19 doctoral supervisors and 33 master supervisors, and 17 of them have received Ph. D. degrees.

       Up to 2015, there are 124 undergraduate students, 115 master’s students and 35 doctoral students currently studying in the Composition Department.