Written for SA two part chorus.
Commissioned and premiered by Choral Fellows of the Harvard University Choir on 2015 February 25. 

Lyrics: Psalm 17:6-8
I call on you, O God, for you will answer me. Give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. 

I Call On You, O God (2014) for SA chorus

Written for cello ad piano.
Premiere: Yevhen Dovbysh cello and Oleksandr O. Perepelytsia piano. Odessa Philharmonic Theater. The 21th International Festival of Modern Art  "Two Days and Two Nights of New Music". Odessa, Ukraine: The International Public Organization Association New Music. (April 26-27, 2015)

Being inspired by the modern Chinese paining “Purple Sky”, the music describes the imaginative and vibrant process in which dramatic purple and dark colors gradually saturate and sprinkled white skies, being characterized by extreme registrations and colorful musical gestures. 
The whole piece is casted in three sections in which several climaxes are gradually culminated in each. The central section displays stark contrast in which sparse textures and subtle tone colors are the key elements. During the course of the piece, micropolyphonic materials are featured and repetitive pitch centers are displayed for symbolizing the coloration processes of skies. Generally speaking, Chinese colors including Peking operatic effects, Chinese instrumental sounds and pentatonic mutated scales are utilized in the piece.    


Purpling Skies (2013) for cello and piano

Composer: Donald Yu
Lost in Civilization for chamber ensemble. Premiere: Icarius Ensemble, conductor: Marco Pedrazzini. Organized by the Associazione amici di Musica/Realta, EXPO chamber concert "Cina, musica oggi". Auditorium Di Vittorio, corso di porta vittoria. Milan, Italy. (June 11th, 2015)

The piece is inspired by the Chinese modern artist Zhang Guanghai’s painting “Lost Civilization”. It is the first time to associate music with the particular painting. The beginning of the music initiates with haunting dissonances generated by strings as well as chromatically-blended woodwind sections, symbolizing the dark and profound color characterized in the painting. Gradually surging into the climax at the dramatic and micropolyphonic-oriented central section where all the instruments culminate at high registrations, here the music imaginarily generalizes the motion of the bird in the painting. After finishing the climax, the music transforms into a rather mysterious moment where harmonics take place at the strings, featuring the gaps and lines emerged in the painting. Besides symbolizing the painting, the music reflects my intrigued profound feeling towards the recent political situation in Hong Kong where only true democratic freedoms are strived for as if the bird in the painting surges into the sky, but not being controlled and bounded by the dark boundaries. All in all, the music is characterized by the utilization of extensive chromatic elements as elaborated melodic lines and micropolyphonic elements, while fusing with harmonics, dissonance and Chinese color including Peking operatic effect. 

Lost Civilization (2014) for chamber ensemble

Composer: Donald Yu, composed in 2015 January
A double concerto written for Zhong Yuen, Harmonica and Chinese Orchestra.
中阮與口琴雙協奏曲「都市琥珀」
Yah Yuen Chinese Orchestra, conducted by Leung Chi Cheung, Harmonica: Gordan Lee, Zhong Yuen: Cathy Wong
Premiered at Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall on June 28, 2015.
Commissioned by YYCMA
曲目簡介
「都市琥珀」一曲靈感源自現代中國油畫家韓冰一系列藝術作品《都市琥珀》，油畫反映及表現出社會急速現代化，對生活本質及環境帶來的負面影響。油畫包含了新印象派之元素，運用大量朦朧夥粒色彩、強烈對比，反映現代化環境特徵。

樂曲開始時，以寧靜及稀薄之氣氛作引子，其後中阮及口琴獨奏互相交織出不同旋律及音響上的特別效果—五聲元素及不協和之音羣融滙貫通，高潮過 後，中阮以快速音羣支配餘下大部份樂曲，口琴則帶出不協和之長音，其餘樂器以個別獨立不同之音羣及節奏交織，營造出神秘的氣氛，反映油畫之朦朧效果。經過 一段中阮及口琴獨奏後，樂曲在神秘及急速之音羣，於高音域結束。
有關韓冰作品系列,請瀏覽www.hua-gallery.com/pdf/catalogue/hanbing.pdf


Urban Amber「都市琥珀」 (2015) for zhong yuen, harmonica and chinese orchestra

Composed by Donald Yu in 2011
Drinking Alone under the Moon for mezzo-soprano and piano.  Premiere: Mezzo-soprano, Clio Montrey; Pianist, Genevieve Jalbert. Fleurs Rejetées Concert Series. Resonance Café, Montreal, Canada. (November 10th, 2015) 

The poem was written by renowned Chinese poet Li Bai in Tang Dynasty.Generally speaking, the music is characterized by the amalgamation of atonal languages with Chinese colours. I would like to use my personal refined musical language to express my feeling towards the loneliness of the poet.

Li Bai
Drinking Alone under the Moon
Amid the flowers, from a pot of wine
I drink alone beneath the bright moonshine.
I raise my cup to invite the Moon who blends
Her light with my Shadow and we’re three friends.
The Moon does not know how to drink her share;
In vain my Shadow follows me here and there.
Together with them for the time I stay
And make merry before spring’s spent away.
I sing and the Moon lingers to hear my songs;
My Shadow’s a mess while I dance along.
Sober, we three remain cheerful and gay;
Drunken, we part and each may go his way.
Our friendship will outshine all earthly love,
Next time we’ll meet beyond the starts above

Drinking Alone Under the Moon (2011) for mezzo-soprano and piano

Written for piano-duo 4 hands.
Composer: Donald Yu
Premiere: Duo Pianistico di Firenza. (Sara Bartolucci and Rodolfo Alessandrini)   Festival of 25 anniversary of the Duo Pianistico di Firenza. 
Venue: Postoia Aula Magna del Seminario Vescovile. Florence, Italy.: Organized by  Damaris: Associazione Culturale.

Emotional Waves (2012) for piano 4-hands duo

https://manchingyudonald.wixsite.com/donaldyumusic

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