My interest in constructing sound elements by imitating the development of hieroglyph, oracle bone script, and pictophonetic characters in the ancient Chinese etymology. The newly constructed "sound words" become living organisms that move, live, prosper, decay, and die.

"Drifting Moon," written for Grafenegg Festival Ink Still Wet and the Tonkunstler Orchestra is no exception to this aesthetic research path. All the sounds are constructed attribute to the movement and the sound of riding traditional Chinese flatboat on the river. And these sound materials tell a story: "If Dharma is the boat we ride on to pass the river of life, we won't need it when we get ashore. Though before we might have a chance to get ashore, we see the moon drifting with the wrecked ships, centuries after centuries."




Conductor: Myself

Drifting Moon 月湧 (2021)

Live performance recording

Asia premiered by Mariel Roberts on November 4th at Music Forum, Taipei, Taiwan.
.
.
.
.
.
- Program Note -

Dedicated to Felix Fan

I, We is inspired by the Polynesians and the Pueblo. I always thought we all looked alike, but only until speaking with several Pueblos and hearing the stories passed down generations about how they were, at one point, Asian from a thousand years ago. 

On the other side of the earth, Polynesians occupy most of the islands in the Pacific Ocean: Easter Island, Hawaii, New Zealand, and everything inside this big triangle. The scholar has just discovered that – the indigenous people on these islands originated in Taiwan 5,000 years ago. 

They travel with horses and boats, and I travel in the air. Despite the difference in the vehicle, our migration never seems to settle. We travel to lands at different times and become another group of people. We are alike until we don’t remember.

I, We for cello solo

Bian Zhou 扁舟
Written for 1st edition Universite d'Altitute. 
Performed by Ensemble Multilaterale
Conductor: Léo Warynski
Cello: Pablo Tognan
Harp: Aurélie Saraf
Bass Clarinet: Alain Billard
.
.
.

『I commented, “Do you happen to know the nature of water or the moon? Water is always on the run like this but never lost in its course; the moon always waxes and wanes but never out of its sphere. When viewed from a changing perspective, nothing in this universe can remain unchanged even within a blink of an eye, but when looked at from an unchanging viewpoint, everything conserves itself, and so do we. Therefore, what’s in them to be admired? Besides, in this universe, everything has its rightful owner. If something does not belong to you, you shall not even have a bit of it. However, the fresh breeze over this river and the bright moon above the mountains are exceptions. If you can hear it, it is a sound to you; if you can see it, it is a view. It never ends and is never exhausted. It is the infinite treasure that nature has for us to enjoy. 』 - Qian Chibifu, Su Shi

扁舟 Bian Zhou (2016)

Written for TANA Quartet during 2017 Royaumont |  ACADÉMIE VOIX NOUVELLES. Premiere on 10th September, 2017, Royaumont, France.

神秀說：「身是菩提樹，心如明鏡台，時時勤拂拭，勿使惹塵埃。」 
慧能說：「菩提本無樹，明鏡亦非台，本來無一物，何處惹塵埃。」

I imagine cleaning the big ancient Buddhist temple, but in the end I’m cleaning my soul. This piece is inspired by the two famous poems in China from one thousand year ago.

Shenxiu – 
I strive to be a tree of bodhi,
And have a heart of a clear reflecting plane,
Forever polishing it I will be,
To never let it be dusted and vain.


Huineng – 
The bodhi did not really the form of a tree possess,
A clear reflector restricted not to a plane;
When not a thing ever really mattered,
Where could dust have gathered and lain?

Cleaning The Temple (2017)

Nocturnal for 6 voices
Written for Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart
Premiered in Innovation Series Taipei 2016



Nocturnal 


Dream... up
stars overflowing
                                         over
﻿from ridge 
... to gorge
                                                                                                                                                                              ... (dimming...glinting) ...

... (dimming ... glinting) ...
﻿

At times, a gilded halation
      一   above, floating, lilting, half a 
nocturnal  一                                                                                                ... (dimming...glinting) ...

lifts up the horizon
over 
the hills
                                                                                                                                                                                                      ... (dimming...glinting) ... .
.
.

... (dimming ... glinting) ...

Nocturnal (2016)

Bian Zhou II - Floating Market 
扁舟（二）海上市集
Premiered by Atlas Ensemble during 2017 Taipei Innovative Series
Conductor: Artyom Kim

Bian Zhou II (Excerpt) 扁舟（二）- 海上市集

Composer from Taiwan, now based in New York City

張玹 Shiuan Chang

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks