Music by Shuying Li
Libretto by Julian Crouch
Commissioned by Shanghai Conservatory of Music

Yvette Keong, Iris Chang
Hidenori Inoue, Shiro Azuma

S: Andrea Bickford, Tabatha Hogan, McKenzie Rybka
A: Kendra Brislawn, Ruby Gibford, Rachel Steinke
T: Robert Waltenbaugh
B: James Heer, Fengyue Zhang

Glen Adsit, conductor
Four Corners Ensemble:
Erika Boysen, flute
Joshua Anderson, clarinet
Christina Adams, violin
Allan Hon, cello
Mi-Eun Kim, piano
Paul Raymond, percussion

Operation Opera Festival, Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, Gonzaga University, June 10th, 2022

The development of When the Purple Mountains Burn received funding from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Female Composers program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

When the Purple Mountains Burn Scene 10 - 11

Premiered by Alarm Will Sound at 2021 Mizzou International Composers Festival
"Sweeping and Weeping" was written in April 2020, when the pandemic hit and everything was canceled, postponed, or shut down. In an effort to find something positive, I initially thought of “sweeping” as a representation of the virus storm that took over our lives in the most unexpected ways. “Weeping” represents my reaction to the devastating loss that so many experienced. Like most of my pieces, "Sweeping and Weeping" began from these initial impressions, but the music itself navigated a way out with its own logic. The work explores rhythmic drive, lyrical tension, and release, with different timbres and colors. The music alternates between fast and slow passages that ultimately mingle into one.

Sweeping And Weeping

Premiered by Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble
James Minnix, conductor
May 1, 2022

Stacking

Commissioned and premiered by Women's Wind Ensemble at University of North Carolina, Greensboro, October 28, 2021. In tribute to Rosa Parks (1913-2005).

Tim Hagen, flute
Mary Ashley Barret, oboe 
Kelly Burke, clarinet
Ab Pack, horn 
Rebecca Libera, bassoon

Back of the Bus

For solo bassoon
Commissioned and premiered by Marissa Olegario

After Rain

For solo cello
    Duration: 4 minutes
    Written for Kevin Hekmatpanah and Gonzaga Dance Program

    Program notes:
      Unsettled Hope is a gripping musical exploration of conflict and resolution, symbolizing the battle between struggle and hope. The rhythmic patterns, evocative of struggle, engage in a duel with a lyrical theme representing hope, creating a tension that ultimately finds resolution. Performed by Kevin Hekmatpanah and choreographed by Noelle Price, the made its debut at the Gonzaga Law School’s Human Rights Conference, underscoring the global importance of the Black Lives Matter movement. The performance took place in Gonzaga's Florence campus in Italy.

Unsettled Hope

For violin, clarinet, harp, and percussion
Duration: 10 minutes
Commissioned by Yvonne Lam for Michigan State University Lunar New Year Concert Series

Program notes:

    Awakening Dragon paints a vivid picture of a mythical dragon awakening from its slumber to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Commissioned by violinist Yvonne Lam for Michigan State University's Lunar New Year Concert Series, the composition brings to life the ancient dance of the dragon. It starts with soft rhythms, depicting the dragon's gentle awakening, and progresses to lively melodies, illustrating its joyful dance in the sky. The piece concludes with a resounding roar, symbolizing the dragon's powerful presence and heralding the start of a hopeful and prosperous year.

Awakening Dragon

Starry Ocean is a musical journey that takes listeners deep into the depths of the ocean, capturing the alluring spectacle of marine life as it mirrors the mystical allure of a star-filled sky. The narrative in the music seeks to depict the enchanting undersea landscape that resembles Van Gogh's "Starry Night." The piece begins with a tranquil, serene depiction of the undersea world, gradually building in complexity as the marine life becomes more active and vibrant. The music reflects this flurry of activity within this undersea cosmos, creating a soundscape that is as intriguing as the bioluminescent creatures in the deep ocean.

Starry Ocean is a celebration of the beauty and mystery of our oceans, presented through the lens of a grade 3+ wind ensemble.

Starry Ocean MIDI

Concerto for six soloists (clarinet, trumpet, trombone, marimba, viola, and cello) and orchestra. More info: https://www.shuyingli.com/coping-cadences

0:00 I. Road Rage: Contemporary
3:29 II. Dual Lives: Romantic
7:25 III. Bottled-Up Blues: Blues and jazz
10:34 IV. The Pursuit: Minimalist

COPING CADENCES MIDI

Praised as “a real talent” (The Seattle Times) with “vivid, dramatic” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “enjoyable” (Gramophone Magazine) scores, and “an incredible span of compositional tool box” (American Record Guide), composer Shuying Li’s music have been performed by Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Ningbo Symphony Orchestra (China), Alarm Will Sound, Orkest de ereprijs (Netherlands), Avanti! Chamber Orchestra (Finland), ICon Arts Ensemble (Romania), Cecilia Quartet (Canada), 15.19. Ensemble (Italy), Ascanio Quartet (Italy), Atlas Ensemble (Netherlands), among others. Shuying holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the Hartt School. A passionate educator, Shuying has taught and directed the Composition/Music Theory Program at Gonzaga University. She joined the faculty as the Assistant Professor of Music at California State University, Sacramento, in Fall 2022. For more information, please visit http://www.shuyingli.com.

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