June-July 2024 (for piano quintet)

Some Christmases ago, I asked Santa for Toothless the Dragon (from DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon”). Unfortuantely, my serious request went unanswered. As years passed, my disappointment became indifference—amusement at myself, even.

The concept of growing up mostly elicits a positive connotation; a google search defines it as to “advance to maturity; develop into an adult,” which suggests the glory of competence and autonomy. However, I recently learned the importance of maintaining our child-like-selves. As children, we indulge ourselves in fantastical worlds and pour time and heart into our limitless creativity. While we come to cement a clearer distinction between real existence and made-up wonder as we grow older, we must not let our understanding of reality become our belief of what is possible. Because the voices of our childhood may open doors we did not know existed.

Growing up does not mean that we must step out of our wonderland.

Written for the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival: recorded by Jusun Kim, Hannah Chaewon-Kim, Misha Amory, Nagyeom Jang, and Gloria Chien, with Grammy-Award-winning producer Alan Bise on Aug. 21, 2024.

Painting by Satoko Kitagawa

Jan. - March 2024 (for 2 violins and piano)

The original spark came during the tap-dancing-eggs sequence from the musical “Something Rotten!”, the spark of which was an image of two soft-boiled eggs trying to dance a tango together.

Soon after, I received news that an important musical figure in my life, a phenomenal bandoneon player who thought me the art of tango music, has recently been fighting cancer. Since then, I wrote this piece with him in mind. A piece with moments of uncertainty and lack of direction that always returns to the tango sound. Tango music will always be with you, in any shape.

Commissioned and premiered by Princeton University’s OPUS, performed with Allison Jiang (‘26) and Miriam Waldvogel (‘26) on May 2nd, 2024.

Illustrated by Satoko Kitagawa

July 2023 (for alto saxophone)

With a feeling of anticipation, joy and flight, this is my piece to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in life.

Commissioned by Caden Helmer and premiered at the NYO2 Chamber Music Extravaganza concert on July 13th, 2023 by Caden Helmer, Vivian Chang, Cadence Shevy, Isabelle Son, and Caleb Graupera.

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NEW: Orchestra Version!

Commissioned by The Little Orchestra Society for their show, Treblemaker’s History of Music (Sept. 30 & Oct. 1st, 2023).

Nov. 2022 - April 2023 (for four-hand piano)

Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis reimagined. Instead of spending the remaining days of his life suffering and caged in the mockery of what his life used to be as a human, what if Gregor jumped out of the window and flew away?

“Als Gregor Samsa eines Morgens aus unruhigen Träumen erwachte, fand er sich in seinem Bett zu einem ungeheueren Ungeziefer verwandelt.
”

— As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

Premiered at the Juilliard Pre-College Composition Senior Recital on April 22nd, 2023.

illustrated by Nicole Balsirow

Jan. 2023 (for flute, violin, cello, and piano)

The second chapter of Avast, Ye! begins as the pirate captain and the crew set sail again after a successful treasure hunt. Soon, the celestial singing of maidens drift towards them in the salty air, calling and beckoning. Peculiar, that maidens would be found amidst the untamed waves of the sea. But the pirates are given no room for even a seed of suspicion, as they sail deeper and deeper into the sirens’ nest.

Extended techniques such as the seagull effect on cello and scraping the fronts of the white keys on piano were used to illustrate a lively ship and its crew on a voyage.

World premiere by the Nu Deco Ensemble at National YoungArts Week 2023.

YoungArts Week 2023

illustrated by Satoko Kitagawa

Feb. 2022 (for clarinet, violin, and piano)

Inspired by Edith Wharton’s novella Ethan Frome, this piece explores the theme of inverted fairytale. The bright, playful beginning reflects the somewhat untroubled life of the Frome household and the light-hearted interactions between Ethan and Mattie. But Zeena’s jealousy of her husband and cousin’s budding romance begins a chain reaction of events that eventually leads to a dangerous sleigh ride aimed at a big oak tree, leaving Ethan crippled, Mattie paralyzed, and Zeena even more miserable than before. 

And they lived not-so-happily ever after.

Premiered @ Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Music on May 7, 2022, with Gabriel Paley (clarinet), Yuri Lee (violin), and Andrew Gu (piano).

Performed at the Juilliard Pre-College Composition Senior Recital on April 22nd, 2023.

A revised version performed for my senior recital on April 22nd, 2023.

Feb. - Oct. 2021 (for violin and piano)

Millions of people’s bright futures were extinguished, leaving their families and friends behind to suffer the aftermath of sudden tragedies. Many lives, dreams, opportunities, loved ones, and happiness were lost due to COVID-19. Even without a pandemic, we sometimes encounter moments where we forget how to smile, where the colorful world is soiled by gloom, where we blindly stumble through life and wonder if we will ever see again.

This piece is dedicated to those of us who are stranded in darkness, to serve as a reminder that no matter how long or cold the journey may be, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Performed at The Juilliard School Pre-College Composition Recital on Nov. 13, 2021 @ Morse Hall, with Ethan Fisher-Chaves (violin) and Yuri Lee (piano).

Winner of the National YoungArts competition 2022.

illustrated by Yuri Lee

July 2021 (for flute, horn, and piano)

A friend once told me, “I wish mosquitos disappeared from Earth; they benefit no one.”

The annoyingly energetic mosquitos are given a second purpose in this piece, transforming into beautiful stars as they float upwards to decorate the sky.

Ensemble Winner of the National Young Composers Challenge 2021; performed by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra members @ Steinmetz Hall in April 2022.

June 2021 (for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano)

Here’s a new version of Sherlock Tango, this time with a new instrumentation and protagonist. Who’s Nyarlock? He is my version of the genius.

Performed and recorded by International Contemporary Ensemble in July 2021.

National YoungArts 2023 Finalist Winner

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competition in Composition (chamber division) 2022 winner

Tribeca New Music Young Composers Competition 2022 Honorable Mention

May 2021 (for violin, guitar, bassoon, and percussion)

The giant finger-eating hamster is back, but this time as a quartet!

Recorded by International Contemporary Ensemble in May 2021.