Celebration of Mediocrity - for bassoon, percussion, piano, mezzo-soprano, and viola (2023) - 3'30''
"Celebration of Mediocrity" explores the interplay between dramatic elements and chamber music. The female protagonist, who craves for no achievements in life, interacts with other performers by mirroring, altering, and sabotaging their performance. Annoyed by the exhausting rat race, the protagonist finds great contentment in being ordinary, rebelling against the social expectations with her cynical and dismissive demeanor.
Selves - for soprano, piccolo and double bass (2023) - 4'
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soprano, Rachel Singh
piccolo, Emily Claman double bass, Zoe Markle |
This composition explores the concept of “self”: a woman develops different selves to cope with impossible situations. The music investigates the interplay between the different demeanors created by her multiple selves. The extreme register between the two instruments (piccolo and double bass) represents the two opposite selves, both of which manage to find a balance through dispute, bargain, and compromise. Consequently, the two instruments serve as a convex mirror and a concave mirror, both of which reflect the singer’s two drastic selves. The singer sometimes mirrors the piccolo player and sometimes mirrors the double bass player. Pulled by the two opposite poles, the singer travels in between lucidity, hysteria, and hallucination.
Mad Girl's Love Song - for bassoon and harp (2021) - 6'
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commissioned by Hats+Heels Duo
Blaire Koerner, bassoon Rosanna Moore, harp |
"Mad Girl’s Love Song" is inspired by Sylvia Plath’s poem under the same name. It depicts a girl who thinks that she had a romantic relationship with a lover she made up in her head. My composition explores the quick switch between reality and imagination. By alternating two different tempi in short time intervals, my music takes listeners on a journey back and forth within the realms of reality and fantasy."
The Tune of Ru Meng Ling - for soprano, flute, percussion, classical guitar, violin, cello (2019) - 8'30''
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Maurice Cohn, conductor
Eric Bergeman, flute Andrew Lauler, percussion Andrew Gomez-Ramirez, classical guitar Peiqi Huang, soprano Justin Zeitlinger, violin Joëlla Becker, cello |
The piece is based on Li Qingzhao's poem "The Tune of Ru Meng Ling". Li Qingzhao is a Chinese female poet from the Song Dynasty. Her early works are full of passion, youth and brightness. After her husband's death and the demise of her country, her poetry began to explore feelings of sorrow, misery, and suffering.
In the poem, the poet was immersed in her own sorrow despite the indifferent response of the maid. The color "red" in Chinese poetry is usually a symbol of flowers or women. The destroyed begonia flowers represent the oppression women had to go through during that time. The color "green", on the other hand, refers to "leaves", which also symbolizes the poet's surroundings. This could entail social expectations or tragic incidents that happened to the poet.
In the poem, the poet was immersed in her own sorrow despite the indifferent response of the maid. The color "red" in Chinese poetry is usually a symbol of flowers or women. The destroyed begonia flowers represent the oppression women had to go through during that time. The color "green", on the other hand, refers to "leaves", which also symbolizes the poet's surroundings. This could entail social expectations or tragic incidents that happened to the poet.
String Quartet No.2 "Intertwined" (2018) - 8'
＊This work was awarded the 3rd Prize by the Robert Avalon International Competition for Composers in 2020
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Jacqueline Ching, violin I
Justin Zeitlinger, violin II Isaiah Chapman, viola Joëlla Becker, cello |
Starting with wobbly sounds coming from distance, all the lines are entangled with each other. And then little by little, stableness emerges from this tangled mess. Like searching for a way out in a labyrinth, things start to unravel themselves with time goes by.
In the chaos, four instrumentalists follow each other’s footsteps or hold on to its own argument, part ways with each other, trigger another’s actions, and reach a certain agreement at some point. Musical events from all four instrumentalists influence and interweave with one another throughout the whole piece.
In the chaos, four instrumentalists follow each other’s footsteps or hold on to its own argument, part ways with each other, trigger another’s actions, and reach a certain agreement at some point. Musical events from all four instrumentalists influence and interweave with one another throughout the whole piece.
Ambra - for clarinet in Bb and harp (2018) - 2'
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Nick Morandi, B-flat clarinet
Amy Nam, harp |
“Ambar” is a Medieval Latin word for “amber”, which results from resins under high pressure and sustained heat produced by overlying sediment. This kind of fossils have been reckoned as precious gemstones since Neolithic Period. Amber sometimes contains insects, plant matter, spider webs, marine microfossils, feathers or other small organisms. This piece depicts all possible materials trapped inside of this particular stone. These materials travel through centuries and still preserve their original appearances. The music explores how amber turns the perishable into eternity, and the contrast between motion and stillness.
High Heels on the Clock Face - for piano quartet (2017) - 8'30''
＊This work was awarded the 3rd Prize of the 1st International Eduardas Balsys Young Composers Competition in 2019
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Hsiao-Chuan Liu (劉曉娟), violin
WuChun Liao (廖武俊), viola Yu-Hsin Wu (吳郁昕), cello Ming Yang (楊明), piano |
This piece is inspired by Dali's painting "The Persistence of Memory". The mixture of triplets, eighth notes, and glissandi represents the image of the "melting clocks". The constant and regular quarter notes symbolize the sounds of high heels. By exploring the combination between "modern women" and "time", the music conveys a sense of rush and compression.
Womb, Ocean, Morning Star - for 2 flutes, clarinet in Bb, percussion, piano, 2 violins, 2 cellos (2017) - 9'15''
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Hao-Yen Chang (張顥嚴), conductor
Cheng-Yu Chien (簡承佑), flute I Donna Chao (趙彤), flute II Hsiao-Wen Chi (紀曉彣), B-flat clarinet Cynthia Tseng (曾芷郁), piano Hsiao-Ting Huang (黃筱婷), percussion Josh Pai (白宇捷), violin I Yen-Ju Young (楊晏如), violin II Yu-Ning Huang (黃郁甯), cello I Yu-Hsin Wu (吳郁昕), cello II |
When you observe the ocean from distance, it seems so peaceful and mild. When getting a closer look, however, you will discover a lot of delicate changes. Waves after waves chasing each other, the blue wrinkles on the surface reflect the diamond-like morning star.
Life origins in the ocean. Creating life is mysterious and sacred. The melody, which keeps reappearing, expresses strong , transcended, and eternal love in the process of cultivating a new life.
Life origins in the ocean. Creating life is mysterious and sacred. The melody, which keeps reappearing, expresses strong , transcended, and eternal love in the process of cultivating a new life.
String Quartet No.1 "Frame" (2015-2016) - 29'
Mvt. I - Machinery
Mvt. II - Walking Shadow
Mvt. III - A Story told by an Idiot
Mvt. IV - Hearing Tranquility
Mvt. II - Walking Shadow
Mvt. III - A Story told by an Idiot
Mvt. IV - Hearing Tranquility
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Paulina Pei-Yin Wu (吳沛穎), violin I Jamie Wu (吳柏潔), violin II Chun-Ju Chien (簡君儒), viola Yu-Ning Huang (黃郁甯), cello |