Nov. 14 – Dezan Shira & Associates, the foreign investment practice founded by Chris Devonshire-Ellis, has been celebrating its 20 years of operations in China this past week with events in both Beijing and Shanghai for clients and friends of the firm. The events were marked in an unusual manner in that the practice commissioned a new piece of classical music to celebrate their anniversary. Composed by renowned New Zealand musician Brent Parker, the piece received its world premiere at the Beijing event and its China premiere in Shanghai, performed by the expatriate Phoenix Quartet. Entitled “Four Corners,” the piece references Chinese, Indian, Italian and English pieces linked together by an intertwining theme. Details of the Four Corners piece, the commission, composer, quartet and a complimentary download of the piece plus works by Mozart and Haydn can be accessed from the new Four Corners website here.

Dezan Shira & Associates provides foreign direct investment advisory services, including legal, tax, and business advice, across China with 12 offices throughout the country. The firm also practices in India, Vietnam and Singapore and has client liaison offices in the United States and Italy. The practice won the “2012 Innovative Firm of the Year” award earlier this year from the global accounting network the Leading Edge Alliance. Leading Edge Alliance firms achieved a collective annual turnover of US$2.7 billion in revenues for 2011, and represent some of the largest non-Big Four firms within their respective cities and countries.

A selection of photos from the Beijing and Shanghai events can be found below; more can be found on the Four Corners website together with biographies of the composer, the group, and additional commentary on the new work.