Performed by Dasom Cheon (천다솜) and Sora Yoon (윤소라)

"Be Silent" (조용히) is a personal reflection on the issue of discourse without intent to understand. Time and again do we seek to prove a point without considering the ramifications of our speech, and it frequently seems to be the case that we would rather shout into the ether than simply listen. In this work, the violin and the ajaeng struggle to maintain rhythmic unity and frequently interrupt each other, seemingly unaware of the similarities between their musical lines. It is only near the end of the piece, when both instruments are shouting angrily at one another, that they engage in extended uniform rhythmic activity.

Performance Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1XfCwzbvN8

Be Silent (조용히)

Performed by:
Su-Yeon Ha, sanjo gayageum
Weon-Ju Chu, piano

One of the most exciting elements of being a musician is collaborating with other artists, especially when the people involved gather from great distances. However, I often find myself experiencing a bittersweet feeling once the performance concludes and everyone returns home. Longing was inspired by one such collaboration; a successful performance with new colleagues left me eager for another event, yet I struggled with a sense of loss. This work is a reflection on the emotions I commonly experience following a successful performance: lingering excitement from the event itself, momentary melancholy following its conclusion, and renewed determination to establish future collaborations.

Longing begins with a violent outburst from the piano, and the space created by the piano and gayageum during this short introductory sequence creates an unsettling atmosphere before exploding into a motoric rhythm first heard from the gayageum. After minutes of nearly constant and exhausting rhythmic activity, the music turns toward the meditative as it explores a soft, introspective split between the instruments. Finally, the music funnels into a series of aggressive rhythmic figures once again as it pushes toward its fiery conclusion.

"그리움" 산조 가야금 그리고 피아노를 위한
하수연, 산조가야금
추원주, 피아노

음악가에게 가장 신나는 순간 중 하나는 다른 예술가들, 특히 서로 멀리 떨어져 있던 예술가들이 한 자리에 모여 공동으로 작업할 때이다. 
그러나 공연이 끝나고 모두가 집으로 돌아가면 나는 종종 씁쓸한 기분에 휩싸이곤 한다. 
“그리움”은 그러한 협업에서 영감을 받아 만들어졌다. 새로운 사람들과 성공적으로 공연을 끝마치면 나는 또 다른 일을 열망하면서도 상실감에 시달렸다. 이 작품은 성공적인 공연을 마치고 내가 흔히 경험하는 감정인 공연 그 자체에서 이어지는 여운과 공연이 끝난 후의 순간적인 우울, 앞으로의 공동 작업을 위한 굳센 마음을 담아낸 것이다. 

“그리움”은  피아노의 격렬한 폭발로 시작되는데, 이 짧은 도입부 시퀀스에서 피아노와 가야금에 의해 만들어진 소리의 시간적 간격은 불안한 분위기를 자아내며 가야금으로부터 시작되는 단일 음표 길이의 반복으로 터뜨려진다. 

촘촘하게 반복되는 힘겨운 리듬 움직임이 지속되다가, 음악은 악기 사이의 부드럽고 서정적인 멀어짐을 탐색하면서 명상적인 방향으로 전환된다. 
마침내 음악은 불꽃 튀는 결말을 향해 다시 한 번 공격적인 리듬꼴의 연속으로 나아간다.

Performance Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9C-VaOvlZk

Longing (그리움)

Just some late night tinkering with new equipment.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II4WoeN9LvU

Improv_12_02

Ionic Bonding was inspired by the process of ionization. This phenomenon, which results in an atom gaining or losing an electron, is represented by the interplay between the pianos and the electronics. What begins as a fight between the parts progresses toward a harmonious conclusion, and the final section provides a soft, ringing end to the piece.

Ionic Bonding

Performed by Haein Lee (이혜인)

“Uncharted” seeks to emulate the energy a person might experience when hiking a new trail, discovering a new book, or traveling to a new country. Much of the day-to-day business lacks excitement, and I find that making time for discovery is an invigorating, refreshing way to re-center my focus. “Uncharted” is my first work for gayageum, and it is with this sense of excitement that I composed the piece.

Doctoral Composition Performance

Uncharted

This was a guided improvisation performed during my doctoral recital. Prior to the performance, I created a series of performance directives accompanied by shapes and lines. The resulting sounds began sweetly with a gradual progression toward dissonant characters.

A realized score of the performance is available as well as the original performance directives.

Morphing, Twisting

I chose this theme to work with following the death of Alex Trebek. He was an international icon, and throughout his career he represented the joy found in the pursuit of knowledge.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dxVJ_Wxa6w

Jeopardy Theme (RIP Alex Trebek)

Experimenting with recording equipment and tinkering with a classic tune.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nigZNHjSllQ

Old Love

This is easily one of my favorite Christmas tunes. I remained pretty faithful to the original until around 2:44 or so.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoWxAxhfWsk&feature=youtu.be

Christmas Time Is Here

Performed by HUB New Music and Kojiro Umezaki.

Gentle, swaying waves disturbing the still surface of the ocean comprise but a sliver of the many natural attractions in Hawaiʻi life. When visiting the beach, I find myself more interested in observing the slow moving water than actually swimming in it. Tranquil, mesmerizing, and sparkling with sunlight is the ocean, and occasional breaking of the waves provides a bright contrast. Following the wave breaks will always be the return to a calm, hypnotic state, and the cycle begins anew.

Resting Waves

Honolulu-based composer and pianist Andrew Filson creates music inspired by the various cultures with which he interacts. His interest in working with both Western and non-Western music has resulted in compositions utilizing traditional instruments from Korea, China, and Japan, and it is through this merging of distinct cultural elements that he strives to uncover a unique voice in the expanding field of intercultural composition.

Andrew J. Filson, Composer

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