was born in 1963 in Shanxi, China. In 1980–84 he studied at the Shanxi Jin Opera Academy in Taiyuan. In 1984–87 he was the director of the music department at the Culture House in Luliang. From 1987–91 he studied composition at the Central Conservatoire in Beijing, where he subsequently taught harmony and composition. In 1994–98 he held a scholarship from the DAAD, studying composition with Helmut Lachenmann at the State University of Music and the Performing Arts in Stuttgart; he also participated in the Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt in 1996. Since 1998 he has been Professor of Composition and New Music Analysis at the Central Conservatoire in Beijing.
Guoping Jia has composed chamber and orchestral music, Chinese folk music, ballet and film music and has received various prizes and awards in China and Germany. His works have been performed in numerous countries. Jia is strongly committed to cultural exchange between China and Germany, devoting himself to organizing concerts and scholarly events. In 2007 he introduced the annual Con Tempo Composition Competition and in 2009, the German Contemporary Music Festival. In 2011, with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation and the International Ensemble Modern Academy, he founded the Con Tempo Ensemble Beijing, the first Chinese ensemble for modern music in which Western and Eastern instruments are combined.

Major works: String Quartet no. 1 (1990), The Sacrifice for orchestra (1991), Yuan for flute (1995), Yuan II for oboe (1996), Mei for harp and computer (1995), Tuonuoni for voice, tuba and live electronics (1996), Ton Yun for string trio (1997), Qing Diao for orchestra (1998), Gu Yun for alto flute (1998), The Desolate Horizon for suona, sheng and percussionist (1999), The Lone Pine Singing in the Wind for woodwind quintet (2000–1), Lingering in the Firmament for Chinese orchestra (2001), Schweben über grenzenlosem Feld for flute and piano (2001–2), The Wind Sounds in the Sky for sheng, cello and percussion (2002), Ice-Fire for orchestra (1999–05), Der Zersplitterte Klangschatten for pipa and four percussionists (2003), Wo kein Klang ist for bayan, violin and cello (2005), Whispers of a Gentle Wind for pipa, guzheng, sheng and banhu (2011), Fallen Leaves into Deep Valley for orchestra (2011), Song of the Burial of Flowers for guzheng (2011), Kalaviuka for orchestra (2012), A Return in the Snow River for 12 Chinese instruments (2013), The Pine-Soughing Valleys for sheng, guzheng and orchestra (2014), Scattered Shades for ensemble (2014), Sparkling in the Vast for pipa, flute, clarinet, harp, percussion and double bass (2014).