June 2025

VICO - GS19 Empress Jito Dances

Program Notes

Iridium is a hard, brittle, elemental metal and is the second-densest metal (after Osmium) with a density of 22.5. It is often alloyed with platinum. This creates a connection to Varèse’s Density 21.5 for flute alone, which has played a large part in my musical life. Iridium is one of the rarest metals found in the earth’s crust (found in Alaska, amongst other places); it exists mostly in the core of the earth. If Iridium were formed into the shape of a gold bar, it would shatter under its own weight. 

Iridium is in three short continuous movements, 6 minutes in total. We begin in the core of the earth: pulsating, molten, and hot. Metallic whooshes, pulses, and drones play against the live flute flutters, bends, and other special effects. After about two minutes, we emerge onto the earth’s surface into the mountains of Alaska in an ethereal, evocative mix of ocean waves, gulls, wind, whale songs, and celestial voices,  and the live and recorded flutes dance through the harmonic series on C. In about the fourth minute, the pulsating, ominous pressure returns, and gradually the Iridium shatters into many pieces. 

Iridium is composed for two flutes and fixed electronics. The electronics consist of 74 imported found sounds, 72 recorded flute clips, and 25 Ableton sounds Some of these shared the same track, so there is a total of 20 tracks against which the two live flutes play. The density of the sounds you hear is intended to reflect the density of the metal. The recorded flutes, which I recorded in my home studio,  serve as a bridge between the live flutes and the electronics.  The coordination is fluid and organic, with time marked in the score in seconds, and an approximation of the electronics notated in the score, and the performers are given flexibility.

Iridium for two flutes and electronics perf. by Sarah Bassingthwaighte

"Morning, Taipei 101" features the first 14 seconds of a theme from my orchestral piece "Urban Suite". Recently, I’ve been experimenting with Suno AI, feeding it melodies from my own works to see who make music better. So far, AI still has a way to go in modern music, but it might surpass human creativity in a year or two!
Visit my YouTube and watch the video I created:
https://youtu.be/pDohUCN5SDg?si=HjY7ah33YWhN3gl5

《Morning, Taipei 101》，前14秒的音樂動機來自我十年前創作的管弦樂作品《Urban Suite》第一樂章，由法國號獨奏開展，全曲描寫了我初次到溫哥華從機窗俯瞰的感受。近期開始使用Suno，將自己過去的作品主旋律作為seed餵養AI，與AI進行PK

Morning, Taipei 101

New Music Ensemble: Chicago Introduction
Fulton Hall, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Nov 5th, 2017

Daniel Pesca (Artist-in-Residence at University of Chicago), piano

Program Notes:
"Isles" resulted from my reading of "the Lost Salt Gift of Blood", a collection of short stories by the Canadian novelist Alistair MacLeod. Drawing inspirations from the writer’s hauntingly beautiful depiction of the Canadian maritime landscapes, this piece displays three musical “isles” in three movements set in contrasting landscapes and moods: shimmering and light, resoundingly violent, and silently turbulent.

I. As Birds Bring Forth the Sun

White Lace

SAKURA SONGS – VOLUME II
four haiku songs/cycle for soprano or mezzo-soprano, flute, cello and piano
duration: 5:30
haiku: various
also included: arr. of Sakura, Sakura for flute/cello/percussion (played by singer) and piano
AvP 132

View on the CMC Shop: https://cmccanada.org/shop/61056/

Sakura (from Sakura Songs, Vol. 2)

SAKURA SONGS – VOLUME I
five haiku songs/cycle for soprano or mezzo-soprano, flute and cello
duration: 10 minutes
haiku: various
also included: arr. of Hanami Odori for flute/cello/percussion
AvP 131

View on the CMC Shop: https://cmccanada.org/shop/61054/

Waking in Spring (from Sakura Songs, Vol. 1)

THE GREAT SEA
song for mezzo-soprano and piano
duration: 2:30
poetry: Uvavnuk; trans. Jane Hirshfield
AvP 107

View on the CMC Shop: https://cmccanada.org/shop/58995/

The Great Sea

OFFERINGS
three songs/cycle for soprano and piano
duration: 8:30
poetry: Joy Kogawa
AvP 118

View on the CMC Shop: https://cmccanada.org/shop/59115/

3. Offerings (from Offerings)

chamber work for string quartet, erhu, shō, santur and percussion (woodblock)

Empress Jito Dances

WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT
chamber opera for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, violin, cello, flute, clarinet and piano
text: Rachel Rose
duration: 90 min
premiere: August 2013, Queer Arts Festival, Vancouver

Teiya Kasahara, soprano (Solana)
Julia Morgan, mezzo-soprano (Lilah)

The Love Duet from WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT

White Cat Blues
three songs/cycle for soprano and piano

1. White Cat Blues
2. The Colour Blue
3. Shadow

duration: 9 minutes
poetry: Lorna Crozier
AvP 147

View at the CMC Shop: cmccanada.org/shop/63261/

White Cat Blues (song cycle)

LULLABY FOR MAYA
for flute and piano
duration: 3:39
AvP 146

View at the CMC Shop: https://cmccanada.org/shop/62066/

Lullaby for Maya

“And what’s next, eternity?”, created in 2021, is a fully self-composed soundscape and meditative vocalise on the title’s question that speaks to my journey from opera singer to interdisciplinary artist, discovering my identity as transgender, and ultimately understanding my humanity. It demonstrates my vocal and composing capabilities, and usage of the looper to generate material and then later editing these vocal tracks with Logic.

Originally created as part of an experimental presentation for the LEVEL UP Design Symposium hosted by the ADC (Associated Designers of Canada) January 26, 2021 over Zoom.

This sound design was used to accompany a live performer (Kasahara) moving in relation to a 3-D environment (created by Jaclyn Turner) with live projections (created/performed by Natjelly Lozada) over a 2-screened Zoom presentation and directed by Amanda Smith.

Original collaboration by artists: Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野, Natjelly Lozada, Amanda Smith, and Jaclyn Turner.

And what's next, eternity?

Association of Canadian Women Composers

The ACWC is a professional organization for Canadian women composers, their supporters, and the performers of their music.

Sakura (from Sakura Songs, Vol. 2)

Leslie Uyeda

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