This recording was created as part of the 2021 June in Buffalo Festival, with each performer recording individually and remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Ensemble Signal, Brad Lubman, conductor; Kelli Kathman, flutes; Lisa Moore, piano; Courtney Orlando, violin; Isabel Hagen, viola; Lauren Radnofsky, cello. Sound Engineering, editing, mixing and mastering by Paul Coleman.
[June 2021]

orbit (n.):
The curved path of a celestial object or spacecraft round a star, planet, or moon, especially a periodic elliptical revolution.
(Oxford Dictionary)

orbit explores the gesture of circular motion in music and the juxtaposition of quick, cyclical motifs with slow, oscillating textures. Along with this idea of circular motion is the constant shift in timbre and colour, resulting in a sense of movement and energy in the music.

orbit (for mixed quintet) - Ensemble Signal / June in Buffalo

Performed by Ensemble Multilaterale 
[March 2016]

Clouds is a piece written for flute, Bb clarinet, violin and violoncello. It describes the formation and different types of clouds one would see in the sky. Although it is not based off a narrative, I used different sections to represent the varying characteristics of clouds.The entire piece is constructed purely on an octatonic scale. I found the inspiration for this work while daydreaming and gazing at the sky, and finding that there are so many types of clouds that evoke very different imageries and sounds.

The piece has four main sections, marked by a change in tempo and mood. The piece starts with a depiction of water droplets forming a cloud - as more droplets appear, they fuse together and a larger cloud is formed. The pizzicatos in the strings represent the water droplets while the long, held notes depict the cloud. I then tried to depict three different kinds of clouds - first being the rain cloud, characterised by a fast tempo and the use of various effects such as hitting on the cello, tremolos and trills. The second is my depiction of thick and fluffy clouds - here in the music there is a constant movement that evokes the feeling of drifting clouds. Lastly, I described the high clouds that are thin and wispy, using air sounds in the flute and artificial harmonics in the strings to give an almost ethereal effect. The piece closes with the beginning of the first section, as if new clouds are formed again.

Clouds (for flute, clarinet, violin and cello)

Performed by Hwa Chong Alumni Band
Darence Leng (conductor)
[August 2016]

Break Free - Ariana Grande; 
Anaconda - Nicki Minaj; 
Hello - Adele; 
Bang Bang - Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj

Pop Song Medley (arrangement, for concert band)

Performed by Max Riefer (percussion & electronics)
[November 2016]

Assemble explores the concepts of randomisation and indeterminacy in a piece written for solo percussion and electronics. A part of the piece allows the performer to play a role in the construction of the piece - this accounts for the uniqueness every time this piece is performed. Randomisation is seen in some aspects of the electronics (playback and panning), while indeterminacy shows in the freedom of choice of the order and selection of musical motifs. The overall structure is fixed.

Another aspect of the piece explores uncertainty and the masking of sources of sound. Throughout the piece, phrases played by the performer are recorded (live and pre-recorded) and randomly played back while the performer is playing. The sounds are slightly processed. This gives the listeners the illusion of many things playing at once and it is uncertain whether the sounds are real or electronic. As the piece progresses, the playback grows in intensity up to the point where there is a mass of sound present.

Assemble (for solo percussion and electronics)

Performed by Muse Ye (piano)
[February 2017]

Written for solo piano, Momentum is made up of three short movements, played attacca, that explore the different colours of the piano while using a collection of pitches (intervals of 2nds and 3rds) throughout the piece. The title describes the driving force and energy that I feel the piece has, as well as its fast tempo and how the music seems to go on most of the time.

The first movement explores the range of the piano while the second focuses on legato playing and the whole movement sounds almost like one entire phrase. The third movement is a build-up of the first two movements, and explores the use of chords and running semiquavers at the same time.

Momentum (for solo piano)

Performed by Jessie Nucho (flute), Molly McDolan (oboe), Emily Kerski (clarinet), Alex Meaux (bassoon) and Rebekah Lorenz (horn)
[July 2017, World Premiere]

Iridescence, written for wind quintet, explores the colour and combination of timbres of wind instruments, as well as the transformation of musical material. At the beginning of the piece, attacks, or short sounds, are heard together with long, sustained sounds... the attacks disappear, leaving sustained sounds, and these sounds then break into lines. At the climax the sustained sounds return, and gradually, they disappear, leaving only the attacks. This piece seeks to emulate iridescence, the phenomenon of surfaces that appear to gradually change colour as our perspective shifts. As the piece progresses, it changes in both colour and texture, but eventually returns to the original musical material.

Iridescence (for wind quintet) - World Premiere

Performed by Brass Lightyear
Teerapol Kiatthaveephong, Maggie Wei (trumpets), Thossaporn Sombat (horn), Jirajet Thawornsiri (trombone), Ngiam Xing Hao (tuba)
[October 2017]

Impetus explores the use of rhythmic drive and repetition in the music, as well as different timbres of brass instruments. I wanted to create the feeling of a continuous energy in the piece, with some uncomfortable moments when the music seems to keep on repeating itself. There are 4 sections in the piece, and they have recurring motifs that repeat and vary with each appearance; and the use of different mutes together creates a unique timbre that I attempt to explore in this piece.

Impetus (for brass quintet)

Performed by Tammi Lee (mezzo-soprano), Nicholas Bentz (violin), Juan Carlos Martinez (clarinet), Emma Van Zuyle (horn) and Sherry Du (piano)
[May 2018]


Wandered is a text setting of William Wordsworth’s poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. In this piece, I explored various instrumental timbres and colours that I felt would suit the text, while also complementing the mezzo-soprano line. The piece has 4 sections which matches the 4 stanzas of the poem, and I focused on creating different textures in each section.

Text:
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, 
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, 
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine 
And twinkle on the milky way, 
They stretched in never-ending line 
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance, 
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they 
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought 
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye 
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills, 
And dances with the daffodils.

Wandered (for mezzo-soprano and mixed ensemble)

Commissioned and performed by the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, Peter Stark (conductor) 
[December 2018]

Bloom explores the growth of a single sound as it develops and expands into various harmonies, textures and eventually a chaotic mass of sound. This process is depicted through several perspectives: from the overall structure of the piece to each individual gesture. The loudest and most chaotic section of the piece uses some form of indeterminacy, in which performers are required to repeat short gestures of sound, yet deliberately not align with each other. This creates a huge mass of sound and texture, as though many different sound sources are heard at once. This also allows a slightly different and hence unique performance each time the piece is performed.
 
This piece was inspired by my fascination with combining different instrumental timbres, and exploring development of sound. The chaotic section is influenced by Lutosławski's Symphony No. 4, and attempts to emulate my experience of being in a rehearsal space when musicians are warming up: you hear different phrases repeated at their own pace; they are completely contrasting yet they are somehow able to coexist with each other.

Video: https://youtu.be/Zab3PKY_snY

Bloom (for orchestra) - World Premiere

Commissioned and performed by the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, Joshua Tan (conductor) 
[December 2018]

Bloom explores the growth of a single sound as it develops and expands into various harmonies, textures and eventually a chaotic mass of sound. This process is depicted through several perspectives: from the overall structure of the piece to each individual gesture. The loudest and most chaotic section of the piece uses some form of indeterminacy, in which performers are required to repeat short gestures of sound, yet deliberately not align with each other. This creates a huge mass of sound and texture, as though many different sound sources are heard at once. This also allows a slightly different and hence unique performance each time the piece is performed.

This piece was inspired by my fascination with combining different instrumental timbres, and exploring development of sound. The chaotic section is influenced by Lutosławski's Symphony No. 4, and attempts to emulate my experience of being in a rehearsal space when musicians are warming up: you hear different phrases repeated at their own pace; they are completely contrasting yet they are somehow able to coexist with each other.

Video: https://youtu.be/6QwJpJy4330

(Photo credit: SNYO)

Bloom (for orchestra) - Hong Kong Premiere

Performed by Ensemble Phoenix
Christoph Bösch (flute), Toshiko Sakakibara (clarinet), Friedemann Treiber (violin), Martin Jaggi (cello), Ludovic Van Hellemont (piano), Daniel Stalder (percussion), Erik Oña (conductor)
[October 2018]

silhouettes explores the shapes and characteristics of a sound envelope, which consists of the attack, decay, sustain and release. These characteristics are split up and distributed across instruments, or altered to form new sound envelopes, resulting in different timbres and resonances.

This piece also explores indeterminacy, in which performers are given the chance to make decisions about the music, in terms of the order of fragments or notes they play. Similar to a silhouette, these indeterminate sections act like a shadow of the notated ones.

This piece is part of my Final Year Project, which consists of a set of 3 pieces that have an overall theme of exploring timbre and resonance. silhouettes, which is the first piece in the set, specifically focuses on the abstraction of the individual components of sound and orchestrating them into a sextet.

silhouettes (for pierrot ensemble and percussion)

Performed by Teo Shao Ming (flute), Alyssa Yam (oboe), Stephanie Tan (clarinet), Goh Mok Cheong (bassoon), Bryan Chong (horn), Kenny Ooi (trumpet), Hendrik Kwek (trombone), Pawin Urapevatcharewan (tuba), Lee Yu Ru (percussion), Nigel Foo (harp), Luong Khanh Nhi (piano), Lau Joey, Natalie Koh (violins), Danish Mubin (viola), Wan Chao-Chiu (cello), Man Gege (contrabass), Lee Jia Yi (conductor)
[March 2019]

prism (n.):
(optics) A glass or other transparent object in the form of a prism, especially one that is triangular with refracting surfaces at an acute angle with each other and that separates white light into a spectrum of colours.
(Oxford Dictionary)

prism explores the gestures of dispersion and refraction in music, as well as the transformation of sounds and timbres into a multitude of different colours. The initial gesture of dispersion of material is multiplied, varied, sometimes reversed and converged; yet always providing a sense of movement in the music.

This piece is part of my Final Year Project, which consist of a set of 3 pieces that have an overall theme of exploring timbre and resonance. prism is the second piece in the set, and specifically focuses on the combination and development of timbre in a large ensemble setting.

prism (for large ensemble)

Performed by Pawin Pungbua (bass trombone), Pawin Urapevatcharewan (tuba), Christopher Johann Clarke (electronics)
[April 2019]

lingering (adj.):
Lasting for a long time or slow to end.
(Oxford Dictionary)

lingering explores the manipulation of resonance, using electronics to extend or alter the sounds produced by the bass trombone and tuba. The interaction between the two brass instruments is also explored, in which they sometimes function as a single unit; but at other times diverging and acting as triggers for each other. The electronics behave as an external force, serving as an extension – in time and in colour – of the sounds from the two brass instruments.

This piece is part of my Final Year Project, which consists of a set of 3 pieces that have an overall theme of exploring timbre and resonance. lingering, which is the final piece in the set, focuses on exploring the decay and release of a sound, which is the final component of the sound envelope.

lingering (for bass trombone, tuba and electronics)

Performed by Goh Mok Cheong (bassoon), Liu Jia (piano)
[April 2019]

oscillations (n.):
Variations or fluctuations between two states, limits, opinions, etc.
(Oxford Dictionary)

oscillations explores the contrast between stillness and turbulence, and the transformation to and from these two states. These variations are reflected in the contour of lines, alternation of notes and shifts in colour and timbre in the bassoon and piano. The three sections of the piece comprises varying degrees of stability and instability that changes over time (much like our friendship over the years).

oscillations is written for and dedicated to my dear bassoonist friend Goh Mok Cheong.

Video: https://youtu.be/MnS50IYzZyA

oscillations (for bassoon and piano)

Performed by Ensemble Linea at Etchings Festival 2019
Keiko Murakami (flute), Winnie Huang (violin), Elodie Gaudet (viola), Johannes Burghoff (cello), Ieva Dudaite (piano), Jean-Philippe Würtz (conductor)
[June 2019]

orbit (n.):
The curved path of a celestial object or spacecraft round a star, planet, or moon, especially a periodic elliptical revolution.
(Oxford Dictionary)

orbit explores the gesture of circular motion in music and the juxtaposition of quick, cyclical motifs with slow, oscillating textures. Along with this idea of circular motion is the constant shift in timbre and colour, resulting in a sense of movement and energy in the music.

Video: https://youtu.be/AV_JZ6v1i2g

orbit (for mixed quintet) - Ensemble Linea / Etchings Festival

Jia Yi Lee (b. 1996) is a Singaporean composer who writes music that explores the colors and textures of sound through movement and gesture. She creates imaginative sound worlds inspired by natural phenomena and processes, and is interested in the perception of temporality and timbre in music. 

Jia Yi’s music has been performed by the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, KOU Musik (SG), Duo Tarenna (SG), Ensemble Multilatérale (FR), Trio SurPlus (DE), Ensemble Phoenix Basel (CH), Ensemble Linea (FR), Ensemble Signal (US), Talea Ensemble (US), Alarm Will Sound (US), Ensemble Ictus (BE), Tacet(i) Ensemble (TH), soloists from Ensemble Musikfabrik (DE), Toolbox Percussion (HK) and heard in festivals such as Toolbox International Creative Academy (HK), Académie Voix Nouvelles at Royaumont (FR), Mizzou International Composers Festival (US), June in Buffalo (US), Etchings Festival (FR), soundSCAPE Festival (IT) and Asian Composers League Festival (NZ & VN). She has been awarded the Otto Ortmann Prize in Composition (2021), and 2nd and 3rd Prizes in the Prix D'Été Competition (2022, 2020).
 
Apart from composing, Jia Yi plays the trumpet and is also passionate about music education. She is currently a Graduate Assistant in Music Theory at the Peabody Institute and also teaches composition as part of the school's Junior Bach Program. In addition, she is part of the organizing team for Music for All, Music with All, a Singapore-based initiative that promotes inclusivity through music education. 
 
Jia Yi is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts at Peabody Institute, studying with Felipe Lara. She recently completed her Master of Music at Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and Bachelor of Music with Honors (Highest Distinction) at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. Her past teachers include Du Yun, Oscar Bettison, Ho Chee Kong, Peter Edwards and Adeline Wong.

Jia Yi Lee

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