Tuesday Night New Music: Dohyun Kim, Stephenson, Yan, Jaegone Kim, Li, Lian, Butler

Dohyun Kim | Aurora (2022)

Espressivo
Dolce
Scintillante

Program note

The aurora is a breathtaking natural phenomenon that occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field. The three videos of shimmering light and color aurora have captivated my imagination. The harp’s delicate and intricate arpeggios, glissandos and rich chords are ideal for expressing the sense of movement and fluidity that characterizes the dance-like quality of the aurora. 
         The first movement, “Espressivo,” begins with arpeggios that evoke the undulating movement of the aurora. I described the awe-inspiring beauty of the aurora through sweeping, flowing melodies and colorful glissandos. 
          In the second movement, “Dolce,” I expressed a softer and more relaxed feeling, reminiscent of peaceful stillness. The harp's delicate chords and voiced as harmonics create a sense of serenity and calm, imagining the quiet beauty of the night sky. 
           In the third movement, "Scintillante," I described the twinkling and dancing lights of the aurora. The harp's bright and shimmering tones are used to capture the vivid and colorful movements of the aurora, while its virtuosic passages reflect the dynamic and ever-changing nature of the northern lights.
           Aurora is about ten minutes in duration, and was written for Shaylen Joos.
– Dohyun Kim

Claire Stephenson | To Sappho (2022)

Program note

Historians will call them best friends. 
- Claire Stephenson

Ian Yan | An Ancient Idyllic Valley (2022)

Program note

The title, An Ancient Chinese Idyllic Valley, originated from the literary work Peach Blossom Spring Story by a famous poet in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In the original text, a man from Wuling, who earned his living by fishing, happened to encounter a peach blossom forest while rowing, but after passing through he sees an isolated world of great beauty. In that world, there is vast land, filled with fertile fields and beautiful ponds. The field roads extend in all directions, and one hears relentless sounds of chickens and dogs. People work and cultivate in the fields, and men, women and children are happy. Finally, the fisherman leaves this world, tells people about the existence of such a paradise, but those who seek it can no longer see this mysterious and peaceful world.
        I was inspired by this literary work and used music to interpret the essence of the story from different dimensions. I not only express the whole storyline in a narrative manner but also use music to invoke imagination, and depict the mountains, forests, and beasts, and all the sounds of this peaceful and dynamic world. The harmonic language consists of a combination of Chinese pentatonic scale and western scales. As a work for piano, the composition contains some unconventional motives, and tries to present the beautiful mood and unique aesthetic value of the far-east.                                                     
– Ian Yan

Jaegone Kim | Eclipse (2023)

Yunqi Li | The Double (2023)

Program note

Dark or Light,
Black or white,
With my choice.                                                                                                        
– Yunqi Li

Shawn LIan | String Quartet No. 1 (2022)

Program note

String Quartet No. 1 features several progressive textural unfurlings and contractions. Beginning with a sustained and dissonant sound, the note D is heard at the center of the whole movement. The set class [0123] appears throughout the movement in important spots. A slow fugue follows the opening section. It is a four-part fugue with a slow and unchanged path. A complex texture and a very dense sound results. The theme, pitch classes (03018), is used throughout the movement in different forms. After that, the [0123] reappears as the viola and cello accompany the violins. It is the same theme from the slow fugue, but in a faster tempo. After that the music becomes fast and aggressive but still employs the same fugal theme. The set class [0123] reappears in heavy chords in the following section. This leads into a slow section that recalls the texture of the beginning, but in a different transposition. It has a light and melodic character. The recapitulation repeats the theme of the slow fugue. It starts from the first note of the theme and then goes backward after reaching the midpoint. Finally, the opening texture is once more recalled as the movement fades away.
– Shawn Lian

Peter Butler | Two Songs for Bassoon and Guitar (2023)

Ennui
To Think So