bass flute, bass clarinet, viola and violoncello
composition year: 2013
total time: 9:56 (excerpt)
Phace ensemble
produced by NEOS and ZKM

Dunkelkammermusik (CD NEOS 2014) Phace Ensemble

August 17, 2023: The Rhythm Method Ensemble Group (Leah Asher, Violin. Marina Kifferstein, Violin. Carrie Frey, Viola. Helen Newby, Cello). World premiere on Lake George Music Festival (Lake George, NY- USA)


In “Notturno”, I want to take listeners on a journey through the enchanting realm of night.The piece is divided into four distinct sections, each portraying a different facet of the nocturnal experience.The first section, "Twilight Reverie," sets the tone for the piece, drawing listeners into the mystical transition between day and night. Following the serenity of twilight, "Sparkling Flight" takes flight with lively and energetic passages.The strings engage in a dance of agility, portraying the enchantment and exuberance of creatures taking flight under the moonlit sky. The third section, "Midnight Musings," delves into the introspective nature of the night. Through introspective melodies and contemplative harmonies, the music reflects the quietude of the late hours, when thoughts wander and emotions deepen. As dawn approaches, "Vibrant Daybreak" heralds the arrival of a new day with renewed energy and vigor.The quartet's interplay intensifies, building to a triumphant climax, symbolizing the emergence from the darkness of night into the radiant light of day.

Notturno (2023): for string quartet

Reflection is a data-driven electronic music piece inspired by the psychological and emotional nuances of mirror reflection. This fixed-media version is adapted from my live performance setup, which uses Syntien on iPhone and Max/MSP for sound design. The source material consists of everyday recordings, which were transformed through real-time digital processes to explore the expressive potential of interactive electronic systems.

The piece investigates how our “other self” appears under different psychological states and perspectives, revealing unexpected facets with each shift in perception. These emotional variations are reflected in the evolving timbres, textures, and spatial depth of the sound.

Reflection (2023): for data-driven live electronics

Kairos, composed by Keith Kramer, is an electronic composition inspired by the Bob Crewe artwork of the same name. The piece features recordings of songs composed by Bob Crewe as source material as well as temporal expansion techniques (temporal dilation) that aid in timbre creation.

Kairos

The graphic above is a visualization of global wind patterns; massive amounts of weather data are fed into a supercomputer that then produces a live (or pseudo-live) “wind map.” The swirls and swoops are color-coded: areas of blue and green are relatively calm, while red and purple usually imply devastating conditions in a tropical system. There is something particularly poetic about seeing our atmosphere on such a macro scale; the same colors converted from numerical data also suggest Van Gogh-esque brushstrokes. The confluence of the empirical and the aesthetic in the “wind map” has proved wildly inspiring for the composition of this piece.

The Juilliard Orchestra (reading)
Jeffrey Milarsky, conductor

Wind Map (2018): for orchestra

Depending on the spectra of their local stars, exoplanets’ flora may come in wildly different colors than our own: red, purple, blue, or even black.

Sophia Steger, Isabella Gies, violins
Frida Siegfrist Oliver, viola
Sanae Kodaira, cello

[alien forests] (2019): for string quartet

Lei Liang - Lake, version for two flutes (excerpt)

Tianyu Liu, Russell Iceberg, violins
Aditi Prakash, viola
Claire Kim, cello
Stephen Joven-Lee, piano

i. network architecture [0:00]
ii. garden city [2:26]
iii. airport express [4:56]
iv. night skyline [7:11]
v. interchange station [10:30]

"Mass Transit" is inspired by Shanghai’s metro system— an elaborate network of lines, trains, tunnels / overpasses, and interchange stations. Each movement explores a facet of the subway network: the elegance of optimizing a system map, the variety of connections available in the city (gardens, airports, skyscrapers), and the complexities of multi-layered interchanges, where up to four lines converge. The piece as a whole is also envisioned as a musical “voyage;” the train stops briefly to take in the sights, before resuming its journey onward.

Mass Transit (2022): for piano quintet

Xinyuan Deng is a composer, pianist, sound artist, and educator originally from Henan, China. Beginning piano studies at age five, she developed a deep connection to music early on. Her compositions blend traditional Chinese aesthetics with contemporary sounds, creating immersive sonic worlds where memory, movement, and stillness intertwine.

Xinyuan’s work spans acoustic, electroacoustic, and multimedia forms, reflecting a broad palette of textures and expressive possibilities. Her music has been performed internationally by ensembles such as Austria’s PHACE Contemporary Ensemble, The Rhythm Method String Quartet, Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, and Harbin Symphony Orchestra.

Recent highlights include her role as a Composition Fellow at the National Orchestral Institute + Festival, where her chamber orchestra piece BAN-NA, inspired by the landscapes and dances of Xishuangbanna, premiered. She was also a featured composer for the American Composers Orchestra EarShot Readings in 2025. Her multimedia piece Whispers in Motion, integrating kalimba, live electronics, and dance, earned the Morris and Sheila Hass Award in Computer Music.

Xinyuan holds degrees from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she is pursuing a Doctor of Music with minors in Music Theory and Electronic Music.

Reflection (2023): for data-driven live electronics

Xinyuan Deng

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