Yi-Ning Lo, currently based in Rochester New York, is a composer, pianist, and educator from Taiwan. Over the course of her artistic journey, she has drawn abundant inspiration for both vocal and instrumental compositions from a rich tapestry of literature, encompassing Western poems, Taiwanese folk tunes, ancient Chinese poetry, and Japanese haiku. For instance, her chorus work “Seek, Home” intricately weaves together contrasting texts in two languages: William Blake’s “Nurse’s Song” and the Taiwanese folk tune “A Bird Cries in Despair,” creating ambiguity and tension surrounding the concept of “home.” Her chamber-orchestra piece “Woven Veins” received the Christine Clark/Theodore Front Prize in 2019, gaining further recognition through broadcast on the radio show “Music of our Mothers” and an honorable mention in the fall journal issued by the International Alliance for Women in Music. More recently, her composition “Alien, Cabbage, and Me” (for live electronics and live video) explores her own language-learning experience as a non-native English speaker. This composition was selected by the Society of Composers for inclusion in their Super Regional Summer Mixtape in 2023.
In her compositional journey, Lo takes particular joy in exploring themes related to womanhood, dreams, and memory, infusing her compositions with a profound sense of emotion and storytelling. Currently, her focus is on an opera project that blends acoustic instruments, electronic sounds, literature, installations, and theater. This opera delves into the contemporary struggles of young women, offering a compelling narrative that reflects the complexities of modern life. Lo has garnered prestigious awards from numerous competitions, including the Classic Pure Vienna Composition Competition, the Robert Avalon International Competition, and the International Eduardas Balsys Young Composers Competition. Her compositions are published by Universal Edition and Theodore Front Music Literature. She has collaborated with ensembles such as the Cornell University Glee Club and Chorus, Rochester Institute of Technology Philharmonic Orchestra, and Hats+Heels Duo. Currently, Lo is an Assistant Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Composition from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from National Taiwan Normal University. |
photo by ÜJIN STUDIO
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