Concentric Circles 
(for orchestra) 

3 fl. &picc. 3 ob, 3 cl &3rd B.cl., 3 Bsn, 4 horns, 3 Tpt., 3 Tbn., Tuba, 4 percussionists, Pno & celesta, harp, vl.16, vl.II 14, vla. 12, cello 10, Cb. 8 

Program Note

	Concentric Circles is scored for a large orchestra. The concept for this work, and its organizational framework are inspired by the I-Ching (Book of Changes), an ancient Chinese treatise on divination with philosophical commentaries. It is composed of four continuous movements including I. Great Yin, II. Lesser Yang, III. Lesser Yin, and IV. Great Yang. The movement and energy within notes, and the proportion as well as the balance between silence (pauses) and music come from the concept and aesthetics of Chinese calligraphy. 
        The first movement attempts to create a timeless, spacious and ethereal atmosphere with the rustling texture and exquisite softness similar to the ancient Chinese water-colour landscape brush painting. The second movement seeks the transparent colours and echo effects in different instrumental groups and orchestral timbres like the countless flowing ripples or tree rings. The third movement conjures up an energetic dance ritual with multi timbral and textural layers by brass and the lower instruments. While the last movement concludes the whole work with the torrential power as if *Kuafu was striving to chase and capture the Sun. 

* Kuafu is a giant in Chinese mythology who wished to capture the Sun. His story is similar to Icarus in Greek mythology.



Concentric Circles by Fuhong SHI 2009

Fuhong SHI*** (Pronounces name FUU-hawng SHEE)/史付红
       Composer Fuhong Shi , a visiting scholar supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) at Columbia University in New York city, USA, a member of a council of China Nationalities Orchestra Society, a member of the Chinese Musicians Association, currently is a Professor and graduate supervisor in Composition at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCoM) in Beijing, China. She got her Bachelor’s degree in composition at CCoM in 2000. Apart from guidance received from many world-renowned composers and Professors, Shi, who has studied in Canada for many years, got her DMA in composition from the University of Toronto and a master degree in composition from the University of Victoria in Canada.

From 2010 to now on, she has rewarded numerous compositional and research programs which sponsored by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, China National Arts Fund (CNAF), Beijing Municipal Education Commission, CCoM and Irish Arts Council (Irish Language Art Songs project 2019). In 2018 and 2021, Return-A Concert of Fuhong Shi’s Chamber Music Works (Music Album titled Return was published by Beijing Global Audio-Visual Publishing Co., LTD in 2022) and a musical trilogy Sound Jigsaw of large-scale symphonic concerti composed by Fuhong Shi financed by the CNFA, were held in the Opera & Concert Hall of the CCoM (Music Album and Musical Scores of the concert will be published by Beijing Global Audio-Visual Publishing Co., LTD and CCoM Press in 2024 and 2025). 

      Fuhong has received numerous awards - the Taiwanese Symphony Orchestra Composition Contest (1997) - the Women Composers’ Scholarship by the International Composition Workshop (Canadian National Arts Centre 2006) - winner of the Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music (2007) - winner of the Generation Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal+ Composer’s Competition (2008) - and was selected by the First Annual China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Young Composer Project as one of six finalists (2011) (In 2018, the selected symphonic work titled Concentric Circles was published as one of Chinese contemporary composers Music Album series by Kuke Music)- Bronze Medalist in the China National Orchestra Composition Competition curated by China Nationalities Orchestra Society (2014) -winner of the Donne in Music Composition Competition in Italy (2018)- winner of Beijing Higher Education Quality Undergraduate Textbook Courseware (2023). 

     Fuhong has collaborated with numerous prominent orchestras and ensembles all over the world, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, New Music Concerts, Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal+, Queen of Puddings Music Theatre, Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadienn, Continuum Contemporary Music, Tai Wan Symphony Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra, Quatuor Bozzini, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, China Guangdong National Orchestra, China Youth Symphonic Orchestra and Youth Chinese Music Orchestra of Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, Hua Xia Chinese National Orchestra of Beijing Chinese Conservatory, Soundstreams, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra. 

Her compositions and interviews were performed and broadcast in the USA, Canada, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe and Southeast Asia. 

***Fuhong is her first name, and Shi is her last name. ***

Fuhong SHI Email Address: shifuhong@gmail.com

Music Album: 
Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/cn/album/returnlive/1653235675

Spotify：
https://open.spotify.com/album/4I8eXdx1eZKxHNdjJ4u4of


史付红，当代作曲家，中央音乐学院作曲系教授，博士研究生导师，国家公派美国纽约哥伦比亚大学访问学者，中国音乐家协会会员，中国民族管弦乐学会理事，她于2000年在中央音乐学院获得了作曲学士学位，曾受到许多世界知名作曲家和教授的指导，并分别获得了加拿大多伦多大学作曲博士学位和加拿大维多利亚大学作曲硕士学位。

2010年至今，曾多次获得中国教育部、中国国家艺术基金（CNAF）、北京市教育委员会，中央音乐学院及爱尔兰艺术委员会（2019年爱尔兰语言艺术歌曲项目）等资助的多项作曲及研究项目。2018年和2021年，在中央音乐学院歌剧音乐厅分别举办了史付红室内乐作品【归去来兮】音乐会（音乐专辑《归去来兮》于2022年由北京环球音像出版社出版并数字发行）和由中国国家艺术基金资助的大型交响乐三部曲《声音拼图》音乐会（音乐专辑和乐谱将于2024年和2025年由北京环球音像出版社和中央音乐学院出版社出版）。

史付红曾获得众多奖项，包括1997年，声乐作品《声声慢》获得台湾省立交响乐团第六届征曲比赛奖项。2 0 0 6年，室内乐作品《无时间的大气》获得加拿大国家艺术中心国际作曲工作坊女性作曲家奖。2007 年，室内乐队作品《炫彩》获得加拿大 Karen Kieser 现代音乐作曲奖一等奖。2 0 0 8 年，获得加拿大蒙特利尔新音乐团（ECM+ ）“Genera tion 2 0 0 8 ”作曲奖。2011 年，管弦乐作品《同心圆》入选中国国家大剧院首届青年作曲家计划决赛(2018年《同心圆》入选中国当代作曲家音乐专辑系列曲目，由库客音乐出版)。2014年，中国民族管弦乐作品《对话》获得中国民族管弦乐学会“新绎杯”青年作曲家民族管弦乐作品比赛铜奖。以及2 0 1 8 年，作品《山鬼》获得意大利Donne in Music 作曲比赛一等奖 。2023年，主编的课件“曲式与作品分析的方法与应用”获得“北京高等学校优质本科教材课件”。

Concentric Circles by Fuhong SHI 2009

Fuhong Shi/史付红