POSTPONED: Tuesday Night New Music: Chen, Xu, Rosenberg, Kim, Ni, Chapman

Linxi Chen | i into the body of a whale, transfigured into a bubble (2024)

Program note

I into the body of a whale, within the endless abysm and darkness, breath seems to depart from me. I listen to the sound of a whale, its vibrations dissect my body, light seeping into my form, tracing a path through the sinews of my bones, caressing and eroding. I meld, and cuddled its body, melding as one, like a bubble.
- Linxi Chen

Yangfan Xu | In a Mellow Mood (2022)

Program note

In A Mellow Mood was written for the "THE LAB: Inspired by Bach and Beyond" hosted by violinist Jennifer Koh in 2022. The contrapuntal voicing aspects of the piece were learned from Bach's partitas and sonatas for solo violin.
- Yangfan Xu

Quinn Rosenberg | Equinox (2023)

Program note

Equinox (2023) is a love letter to the ways natural phenomena and human experiences intertwine and mimic one another. We are not separate from the ecosystems which surround us; we are a part of them.
- Quinn Rosenberg

Dohyun Kim | Butterflies (2023)

Beginning
Singing in the rain
Destiny

Program note

Butterflies is a piece inspired by the enchanting love story of two main characters, drawing inspiration from the classic film Singing in the Rain. It consists of three movements and the duration is 12 minutes. In the first movement, using the vibraphone with the bow and clarinet melodies expresses the heart flutter of the two main characters meeting for the first time. The second movement portrays the main characters expressing their love through ballet, with the music mirroring the graceful movements of their dance. They were as beautiful as two butterflies. The third movement intensifies with more impassioned melodies than the preceding two movements, expressing their profound and destined love for each other.
- Dohyun Kim

Yuanwei Ni | Peregrinate (2023)

Program note

While composing this work, I wished to go beyond the limit of flute techniques. I challenged myself by trying out novelties in all aspects such as range, speed, and techniques. This is a work with powerful dynamics represented by various contrasts and struggles. Quoting Camus as my muse: "There is scarcely any passion without struggle. The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a men's heart."
- Yuanwei Ni

Coco Chapman | from Mood Ring Suite (2024)

I. Black and White
IV. Blue and Red
V. Teal

Program note

I wrote this piece about a personal relationship that, while over by the time I started writing this, really affected me. I thought composing would be a good way to process my feelings, so when I arrived back on campus after summer break, I improvised what would become the last movement of this cycle. I was hoping to work with my studio teacher on vocal writing, as I have been writing songs with lyrics for as long as I can remember but have always been too embarrassed to share them with any of my teachers. This set's allegorical style allowed me to share this deeply personal message with my studio teacher, who encouraged me to keep writing songs for the cycle. I decided to dedicate each movement to a different time in the relationship and the feelings that accompanied that time, naming them after colors, as I have synesthesia. Some of the movements, such as Black and White, are named after colors that are most associated with the feelings I capture, while others, like Teal, are named after colors I associate with the harmonic canvas I am using. A big thanks to Tomer for bringing these portraits to life!
- Coco Chapman