The profound emotional impact of the September 8, 2023 earthquake in Morocco inspired this composition as a tribute to the victims and a celebration of the nation’s rich musical heritage. Initially conceived as a sextet, the piece was premiered on June 9th by the American Modern Ensemble under the baton of Eric Bodnar. It subsequently underwent a transformative journey when my friend and fellow composer, Ian Weise, proposed an adaptation for Pierrot ensemble during the Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, June 2024. His vision of a 2025 concert featuring this arrangement ignited a new creative path.

This piece stands as the inaugural movement of a larger suite exploring the multifaceted layers of Moroccan musical tradition, with a particular focus on the evocative melodies of the High Atlas. By reinterpreting these melodies through the unique lens of the Pierrot ensemble—flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano—I seek to create a contemporary musical dialogue that honors the past while forging a new path forward.

Through this composition, I hope to offer a poignant and evocative musical experience that resonates with listeners on both an emotional and intellectual level.

Moroccan Dances - I Hight Atlas The Majestic (Pierrot Ensemble Pre-Release Version)

Written for flute/piccolo, bass clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, Once a Sea (2023) re-imagines the land of gorge that was once a sea. Through gestures of water lapping, swirling, swarming, falling, rippling, splashing, the ensemble weaves together texturally in several layers. The shaping of a gorge mirrors my life journey from an islander transformed into a continent dweller. As the piece unfolds, the five instruments come along with different colors and intensity to express energy bursts that shape into moments of dwelling. Once a sea, it is now a land where water continues to travel.


Eunha Kim - flute & piccolo
Ricky Lee Jurski - bass clarinet
Sujin Kim - violin
Joshua Daniel Lyphout - cello
Abigail Marie Petersen/piano
Conducted by Landon Kane Cina

World Premiere Recording on April 10, 2024 at BGSU Moore Musical Arts Center Bryan Recital Hall.
© 2023 Chia-Ying (Janice) Shieh. All Rights Reserved.

Once A Sea

Written in 2022 for Collage New Music, this performance of marti Epstein's The Nemophilist is from the 2023 SICPP in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Steve Drury conducting.

The Nemophilist

As a person born in Yauco, Puerto Rico, the name of Amaury Veray is heard sporadically when his most famous piece of music (performed and recorded all over the world) the Christmas carol: “Villancico Yauco”, is mentioned. This piece of ephemeral music aside, his contributions to music, particularly music history and composition, became cemented when he along with several other Puerto Rican composers started a modernist movement of Nationalistic Music. 

The present piece is a reaction to among all of the above, the expectations that minority composers face whenever they are asked about their background, the role these elements may play in our imaginaries and the various ways in which these constant considerations of identity, nostalgia, loss of a sense of permanence shape our perspective of ourselves and the world around us.

This piece was commissioned and Premiered by Tianhui Ng and the MIFA Victory Players:
Nathan Ben-Yuhuda, piano
Linda Hwang, cello
Justin Ouelette, violin
Giovanni A. Pérez, piccolo/flute
Robert Rocheteau, percussion

my father never knew Amaury Veray (performed by Tianhui Ng and the MIFA Victory Players)

"Farewell" was written as a tribute to my late mother, who lost her battle with cancer in August of 2022. I was in graduate school for Music Theory at the time, and was given an assignment to write a piece utilizing a very specific set of instruments. I requested that I may add voice and percussion to it, and to the piece to a poem that was speaking to my heart at the time, entitled "Farewell" by Anne Bronte.

The piece is scored for flute, clarinet, piano, one percussionist, violin, cello, and soprano voice.

The poem's text is included below.

Farewell to thee! but not farewell
To all my fondest thoughts of thee:
Within my heart they still shall dwell;
And they shall cheer and comfort me.
O, beautiful, and full of grace!
If thou hadst never met mine eye,
I had not dreamed a living face
Could fancied charms so far outvie.

If I may ne'er behold again
That form and face so dear to me,
Nor hear thy voice, still would I fain
Preserve, for aye, their memory.

That voice, the magic of whose tone
Can wake an echo in my breast,
Creating feelings that, alone,
Can make my tranced spirit blest.

That laughing eye, whose sunny beam
My memory would not cherish less; -
And oh, that smile! whose joyous gleam
Nor mortal language can express.

Adieu, but let me cherish, still,
The hope with which I cannot part.
Contempt may wound, and coldness chill,
But still it lingers in my heart.

And who can tell but Heaven, at last,
May answer all my thousand prayers,
And bid the future pay the past
With joy for anguish, smiles for tears?

Farewell

Subpar Parks is a series of miniatures loosely inspired by Amber Share’s poster art featuring negative reviews of the American National Parks.  There are seven movements, each based on a negative review from Yelp, Google, and other online platforms. In each movement, I depict the comedic character of each review and at times blend in and contrast my own personal experiences with the beauty of these parks. The piece reflects humanity’s ability to be bored by even the most magnificent sights but encourages the listener to go deeper and find unexpected beauty in the seemingly mundane. The piece was commissioned by the Houston-based contemporary music group Musiqa for their 2024-2025 season.

Premiere September 28, 2024 at the Midtown Arts and Theatre Center (MATCH) in Houston, TX

Garrett Hudson — flute
Yevgeny Dokshansky — clarinet
Astrid Nakamura — violin
Chris Ellis — cello
Chelsea de Souza — piano

Video courtesy of Full Media Jacket and Musiqa. Audio courtesy Francis X. Schmidt and Musiqa.

Subpar Parks

Invocation and Dance: II. Dance

Invocation and Dance: I. Invocation

This piece tells the story of a young national hero in Chinese history—Huo Qubing (140 BC – 117 BC), a brilliant military general of the Western Han dynasty during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.
At just 18 years old, Huo Qubing led 800 light cavalrymen deep into the Gobi Desert—modern-day Mongolia—striking a decisive blow against the Xiongnu nomadic confederation. His daring raid not only defeated the Chanyu's grandfather but also eliminated over 2,000 enemy troops and captured numerous Xiongnu nobles.
In 121 BC, Emperor Wu sent Huo Qubing on two major campaigns in the Hexi Corridor. His victories crushed the Xiongnu princes of Hunxie and Xiutu, securing this crucial region for the Han Dynasty. This triumph paved the way for the Northern Silk Road, linking China directly to Central Asia. It also introduced superior horse breeds, including the famed Ferghana horse—ancestors of today’s Akhal-Teke—further strengthening the Han cavalry.
Huo Qubing remains one of the most celebrated military commanders in Chinese history. The historian Ban Gu of the Eastern Han Dynasty honored his achievements in the Book ofHan:
"The Champion ofPiaoji, fast and brave.
Six long-distance assaults, like lightning and thunder.
Watering horses at Lake Baikal, conducting rituals at Khentii Mountains.
Conquering the lands west ofthe Great Water, establishing commanderies along Qilian Mountains."
Yet, his brilliance was fleeting—Huo Qubing died at the young age of 23. His legend lives on, encapsulated in an old saying:
“Famous generals are like beauties; they are not allowed to grow old.”
Musically, this piece captures the essence of his story through sweeping glissandi, evoking the sounds of traditional instruments. The composition is deeply inspired by the folk songs of nomadic peoples, particularly their long tunes, reflecting the vast landscapes and untamed spirit of the steppe.

Iron Horses

for Pierrot Ensemble
Composed in 2022 by Bruno Robles-Rendón

Presented by the Mannes Prep at Stiefel Hall
Preformed by Anonymous Mannes School of Music Graduate Students

The Night Calls

Ben Morris is a composer whose music tells unconventional stories and crosses genre boundaries. He is Assistant Professor of Composition at Stephen F. Austin State University.

I am a Mexican-American composer, performer, and music organizer.

I’m Rafael Hernandez, a composer, teacher, and self-proclaimed nerd with a passion for creativity and education. Thanks for listening!

Known for his compelling, expressive and socially aware music, Puerto Rican composer Julio Elvin Quiñones writes works that are imbued with visceral gestures, intuition and represent every aspect of his identity.

His music has been performed by many ensembles like the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico’s Symphony Orchestra and Concert Band, the Omnibus Ensemble, the JACK Quartet, loadbang, Ensemble Dal Niente and Talea Ensemble; additionally he’s also been performed by known soloists: Katsyarina Shaposhka, James Alexander, Hakeem Davison and Katherine Needleman. 

Julio is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at the Graduate Center CUNY, having studied with Suzanne Farrin, Jason Eckhardt and Jeff Nichols. He holds a Master's degree from the Peabody Conservatory with Michael Hersch and a Bachelor's Degree from the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico with Alfonso Fuentes.

Simon Alami is a Canadian composer with a passion for blending different musical styles and traditions. He draws inspiration from master composers. Simon's compositional style is characterized by a fusion of diverse elements and a willingness to experiment with new forms of expression. He currently lives in Montreal, Canada and is a proud member of the Canadian League of Composers (CLC), Canadian Music Center CMC and SOCAN.

Yue Song is a Chinese composer currently based in Dublin, Ireland.

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