Chou Wen-chung, the composer he first went to America to study under, says: "Tan Dun is one of the most talented Chinese composers, but he has been seduced by Western commercialization. It's a pity, but his work merely presents a superficial version of the orient for Westerners to appreciate."
包括將他帶到美國的老師周文中也表示，「譚盾是中國作曲家中最有才華之一，但是受到西洋商業化的誘惑，寫出來的東西只是西方人表面肯定的東方，實在可惜！」