Composer: Donald Yu. Premiere: New Score Chamber Orchestra (US) Todd Craven-conductor. Soprano: Shelley Chen
Premiere at Abbey Theatre and Maitland Presbyterian Church, Florida, US on 24 and 25 August, 2015.

The poem was written by Li Bai in Tang Dynasty. The emotional aspect of each movement is closely connected to each poem, and numerous word paintings describing the scene of each poem are employed. Generally speaking, the language of the music reflects the fusion of Chinese colors, post-tonal elements along with diatonic modern language. Harmonically speaking, the musical language is transformed from diatonic to chromatic characters during the course of the whole piece, featuring the cycle from yan to yin; spring is analogous to yan whereas winter is analogous to yin.

Ballades for four seasons (2014) for soprano and chamber orchestra (Excerpt)

Premiere recording by Gloria Chamber Choir, conducted by Volodymyr Syvokhip (2023, July)
Copyright (C) by Phasma Music 072, Gloria.

The text of the piece is written by American poet Georgia Douglas Johnson. In the poem, sense of mysticality is expressed and limitlessness of soul is the central theme. Recently, I am quite obsessed with soul and consciousness; yet the realm of after-life always remains a profound mystery among human being. Throughout the piece, non-simultaneous entries in association with canonic procedures of the vocal layers in different points provide substantial atmospheric, floating and mosaic characters to the music. Subtle and gradual transformations of pitches along with changes in tone colors take place depicting the different texts in the poem.   


Elevation (Georgia Douglas Johnson, 1880-1966)
There are highways in the soul,
Heights like pyramids that rise.
Far beyond earth-veiled eyes,
Sweeping through the barless skies
O'er the line where daylight dies—
There are highways in the soul!

Elevation (2023) for mixed chorus with piano (Excerpt)

Virtuoso Fiesta for Four Violins and Bass is composed in 2023 to celebrate the birth of the new music organisation Virtuoso Fiesta and to express happiness, gratitude and passion for music. Virtuoso Fiesta's mission is to address social issues and wellbeing and to connect communities worldwide through the finest music making.

This world premiere is performed by violinists Ruda Lee, Steven Chang, Heewon Uhm and Zheng Yang and bassist Masami Nagai.

Virtuoso Fiesta For Four Violins And Bass

(Composed in 2024). Premiered by Gemini Duo (WanXu Zhao, Wanchen Zhao). 
NUTkoncert. Byrådssalen, Aalborg, Denmark. (October 26th, 2024) 

About the piece:
I am always fascinated by the magic illusion and properties of infinity mirrors when they are placed for generating a series of smaller and smaller reflections inside each other until fading to infinity. The piece is inspired by the mysterious nature and optical properties of the mirrors in that musical materials between two accordions often complement and reflect each other. The first section appears to be slow and sustained interspersing with materials gradually building up to several climaxes. The second and the third sections are featured by fast gestures but in different configurations and that the materials constantly undergo transformations. The music fades out near the end symbolizing the images inside mirrors recede to infinity.

For score, please visit:
https://www.babelscores.com/catalogs/instrumental/9296-through-the-infinity-mirror9296

Passing Through the Infinity Mirror 穿越無限鏡 (2024) for accordion duo

Born in Hong Kong, Lora Chow is an award-winning composer and coloratura soprano graduated magna cum laude from Yale University. She strives to create beautiful music that inspires positive changes and connects communities.

My compositions have evolved through distinct creative phases. In the formative stages, I cultivated a refined synthesis of impressionistic and dramatic gestures with an expressive contemporary language, often enriched by oriental colors and aleatoric elements.  More recently, the works, influenced by the aesthetics of process music, explore suspended dimensions of time and space through the subtle transformation and reconfiguration of musical materials unfolding into spectral soundscapes and immersive sonic landscapes. 
For more information, please visit:
https://manchingyudonald.wixsite.com/donaldyumusic/blank-1

https://manchingyudonald.wixsite.com/donaldyumusic

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