A distinguished Chinese composer and music theorist who enjoys the State Council Special Allowance from the Chinese government; Senior professor (in Grade 2) and supervisor of doctoral student of the SHCM (Shanghai Conservatory of Music) in composition and music theory, senior researcher of He Luting Advanced Research Institute for Chinese Music at the SHCM; Vice Chairman of the Society of Composition & Music Theory, an organization attached to the CMA (Chinese Musicians Association); Member of the Academic Council of the Evaluation of China’s Journals of Humanities and Social Sciences (Studies of Music and Dance) and the Key Research Institute of Musicology at the CCOM (Central Conservatory of Music); Editorial board member of Journals like Music Research, Art of Music, and also a contract author for the SMPH (Shanghai Music Publishing House) and Shanghai Conservatory of Music Press.
As a prolific composer, Jia’s music covers a variety of musical genres, such as symphonies (6 for large and 2 for chamber orchestra), concertos (11, including 4 for traditional Chinese musical instruments), opera, ballet music (2), string quartets (4), other chamber music (14), percussion music (5) and song cycle. 10 CDs featuring Jia’s music have been released by NAXOS (Impressions of Liyuan: 8.579176/2025; The Wave of the Surging Thoughts: 8.579157/2024; Chamber Works Vols.1: 9.70241/2015 and 2: 8.579011/2016; Percussion Works: 8.579028/2017), SMPH & SLAV (2019, 2020) and CRC (2023). His String Quartet (1988) won the 12th “IRINO Prize” in Japan (1991), many other compositions have been awarded prizes in national composition competitions in China, including Rondo for Clarinet and Piano (1984), The Dragon and Phoenix Totem for Pipa and Orchestra (1985), Symphony in Two Movements (1986-1987), Symphonic Prelude Bashu Capriccio (1996), etc. Flavor of Bashu for two violins, piano and percussion (1995) has been listed in the “Chinese Classic Musical Composition of the Twentieth century” by the Chinese government.
As an insightful music theorist, Jia published two monographs and many articles concerning musical composition and analysis. Disciplinary Instructions for Structural Analysis (2004) received a silver medal in the Golden Bell Awards for its profound understanding of music theory (2011). Musical Composition and Analysis (2016) awarded the first prize of Academic discipline in the 14th “Shanghai Outstanding Achievement Award in Philosophy and Social Science” (2018), and the second prize of the “8th Outstanding Achievements in Humanities and Social Science for Colleges and Universities”, the latter category issued by the Chinese Ministry of Education (2020), in which his another monograph Poetics of Musical Structure, and treatise “The Counterpoint of the Structures” were also selected respectively in 2013 and 2009. Jia’s contribution to music theory has been widely recognized and frequently cited in academic research field in recent years.
Besides, Jia has been featured as “Outstanding Expert with Outstanding Contribution” by the Sichuan provincial government in 1996, “Grantee of ACC (Asian Cultural Council) and the Guggenheim Foundation” in 2005, “Supervisor of Top 100 Doctoral Dissertations in China” by The Chinese Ministry of Education in 2007, “Bao Steel Excellent Teacher Award” in 2008, “ Outstanding Literary Talents of Shanghai” in 2010, and “Shanghai Municipal Award for Bringing up Talents” (Shanghai Yucai Award) in 2014.
JIA was a member of the Appraisal Group for Art Subjects of Academic Degree Commission of the State Council (2003-2015), and the Supervision Board of National MFA Professional Degree in China (2005-2015), and served as the Dean of the Graduate Study Programs (2001-2014), Director of the Office of the Academic Subjects and Specialties Programming Committee of SHCM (2008-2014), and Vice President of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music (2014-2016).
