Bian Zhou II     扁舟二  海上市集(2017)

​For 11 instruments
Performed by Atlas Ensemble at 2017 Taipei Innovation Series
Conductor: Artyom Kim

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

Second performance: Asasello Quartet at Geneva Archipel Festival
Third performance: musician from Chicago Viciv Symphony Orchestra at Chicago Symphony Center

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?

灑掃大廟
Cleaning The Temple（2017)
For string qaurtet

Mandy' Hummingbird (2015)
​for string quartet
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First Performance: VIPA Festival at Valencia, Spain by Mivos Quartet



Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world, that most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm (3–5 in) range. They are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating wings which flap at high frequencies audible to humans. They hover in mid­air at rapid wing­flapping rates, typically around 50 times per second, allowing them also to fly at speeds exceeding 15 m/s (54 km/h; 34 mph), backwards.

​I recognize that the surplus impressions from one’s voice are rarely constructed by solely the words one speaks, but rather constructed by the emotional spectral graph, that including overtones and subtones, delivered over times. (Though here I don’t intend to use any spectral theory.) To be able to demonstrate this idea, the hummingbirds’ voices and image are diluent and being presented fragmently, slowly evolving through time untill the second part of the piece, where the emotional spectral graph and the birdsongs finally merge together.

Bian Zhou 扁舟 (2016)
For Cello, Bass Clarinet, and harp

First performance: Universite d'Altittude by Ensemble Multilaterale
Conductor: Léo Warynski
Cello: Pablo Tognan
Harp: Aurélie Saraf
Bass Clarinet: Alain Billard


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『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 like that, 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 perspective, 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, then you shall not even have a bit of it. However, the fresh breeze over this river and the bright moon above the mountains are an exception. If you can hear it, it is a sound to you; if you can see it, it is a view to you. It never ends and is never exhausted. It is the infinite treasure that nature has for both of us to enjoy. 』 - Qian Chibifu, Su Shi

Monk II _ The one who eats meat (2015)
For Alto Saxophone, Accordion, Percussion, and Electronic Guitar

First Performance: 2015 Composit Festival Riety, Italy
Conductor: Shiuan Chang
Musicians: Vincent Daoud (Sax), Luca Piovesan (Acc), Tom De Cock (Perc), and Maarten Stagier (El. Guitar)

Description: I'm a vegetarian, sadly sometimes I really want to eat meat, and here's my fantasy of the process.



Movement I    : Mealtime
Movement II   : Devour
Movement III  : Esophagus Counterstream 
Movement IV : Dissave
Movement V  : Purification

Monk (2014)
For Flute, Bb clarinet (bass clarinet), cello, and piano

First Performance: 2014 Bartok Festival, Hungary by Alter Ego under the direction of Peter Eotvos.
Second performance: September 23rd 2014, Jordan Hall, Boston
Third performance: Moderna Conservatory, Italy
Forth Performance: New England Conservatory, Boston
Fifth performance: June 13th, 2015, Taipei Cultural Center, New York by Mise-En Ensemble.
sixth performance: March 14th, 2016, SF, Earplay ensemble
Seventh performance: June 14th, 2016, Knoxville, TN, Nief-Norf Festival

Description: written for Bartok Festival composition course. This piece is about balance, meditation, and the flow of “Qi”
                Inspired by the legendary Chinese martial art “T’ai Chi”

大街小巷 Streets (2014)
for Flute, BB Clarinet, (bass clarinet), Violin, Cello, piano, and percussion

First Performance: October 20th, Jordan Hall, by Hai-Dao Ensemble, myself conducting
Second Performance: November 4th, Merkin Hall, New York by Hai-Dao Ensemble

Description: 大街小巷 in Mandarin symbolizes the most traditional street scenes around the ancient siheyuan. Here I also want to explore the timid relationship of memories that if the memories from long time ago could match up with the actual scene when we revisit the old places. 

一部份靈感來自於《文茜的世界週報》：走入巷弄，沒那麼直，沒有太多擁擠的人與車輛。巷弄彎曲而親切，沿途母親的味道，故里的視覺，那些城市焦慮逼走的記憶，一一回來。巷弄中相逢之人，即使陌生，也覺得有緣 

Lake Kawaguchi (2013)
for soprano saxophone

First performance: 2013 Tokyo by Asagi Ito
Second performance: 2014 Jordan Hall, Boston by Geoff Landman
Description: Commissioned by A-En project to write about Mt. Fugi, and moreover for the advertisement of Mt. Fuge, the score is displayed at the hotels and the museums around the mountain. This piece is about the gentle impact between water and the boat on the lake Kawakuchi. Above all, a poem should be read before listening to the piece. 


My shadow, gently taping
Recall from the serene mountain
“Breathe together, My friend from far away”

Love Song (2007)
For soprano and piano

Premiered in 2008, NEC

Selection from Diary (2010)
for piano solo

First performance: NEC  by Shiuan Chang
Second and more performances: in which audiences' memories.
Description: those intuitive thoughts and emotion react to things you encounter everyday and night...