July 2019 (for two violins, piano & snare drum)

Chess is a board game of strategic skill for two players, played on a checkered board. Each player begins the game with sixteen pieces that are moved and used to capture opposing pieces according to precise rules, with the object of putting the opponent’s king under a direct attack from which escape is impossible. In this piece, the two violins fight for victory with the piano and snare drum illustrating the tension in the dry air of a battlefield.

Chess is based on a real chess game I played with my friend, and it directly represents the flow of the game. First, the chess game was notated and a motif was written to illustrate the movement of each chess piece. Then came the composition process of putting these two together; motifs are introduced and varied throughout the piece in the order based on the chess game notation. Which violin do you think claimed victory?

June 2019 (for brass quintet)

This brass quintet piece illustrates the busy place with constant interactions between people and food - the pizzeria. The opening imitates a call that I have recorded between me as the customer placing an order and the worker of a pizza place in town. And a few fictional dialogues are included throughout the pieces as well, although of course, the listener will never know when and what words are being said. Pizzeria conveys the preparation of customers’ orders in haste in a small, warm kitchen, based on my fun “research” trip to another pizzeria. Watching the cooks’ swift movements in making pizzas was a great help in writing this programmatic piece of music - and the free garlic knot sample was a bonus!

2017-2019 (for 2 sopranos, 3 mezzo sopranos, 2 tenors, baritone, and orchestra

With the love for Greek mythology, I was determined to take on a grand challenge of writing an opera one day. Over a third of the process involved planning out the scenes and writing the libretto. During these two years, I learned a lot about the mindset the composer has to be in while writing an opera, keeping in mind about the staging, choreography, actors, vocal writing techniques, as well as everything else necessary to write music.

Full album: https://composeryuri.com/perseusmedusa-theopera

May 2019 (for string orchestra)

Last Spring is a piece originally written for my 5th grade graduation, and later arranged (or 85% re-written) for my 8th grade graduation, where we reflected on our middle school journey. It represents the many friendships that we have all come to cherish, a reminiscence of our experiences together - good, bad, surprised, melancholic, fun, annoyed, content, all of the feelings that we felt these past several years. And it wraps up our story together as people, our friends and teachers, walk away from our lives. After looking back to and learning from these memories, this piece ends with us beginning a new chapter with more to come.

Performed by the 8th grade advanced strings at the Tuckahoe Middle School Graduation 2019.

April 2019 (for woodwind quintet)

Hypocrisy is defined as ‘a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.’ This piece illustrates the hypocritical characteristics of people, ideas, and other subjects using contrasting materials of music. There may be a variety of interpretations of who or what the subject is, and each audience member must let their imagination and creativity loose as they listen to this piece, which acknowledges the deception and dishonesty of the world.

Performed in the Juilliard Composers’ Showcase 2019.

illustrated by Satoko Kitagawa

March 2019 (for brass quintet)

The energy of the brass instruments motivated me to write a lively piece, and when I was trying to decide on the theme, I thought of ostriches and their spirit. Ostriches are fascinating animals; they are the largest birds in the world with long legs and necks and cannot fly. I watched as many ostrich videos as brass quintet repertoires to prepare for this piece. Did you know that ostriches can make no vocal noise? They make “booming” noises by inflating their necks. 

In Ostrich March, an ostrich takes a wild journey and explores the life of “chaotic happiness.” During the piece, it falls asleep and dreams about flying through the clouds, and later participates in a race, sprinting with its ballerina-like legs as if getting chased by a cheetah. And at the end, the ostrich makes the unique “booming” sound of wrapping up its journey.

Written in Luna Composition Lab 2018-19 and performed by FTM’s brass quintet at Merkin Hall.

Jan. 2019 (for string quartet)

"Blustery Day" was written after being motivated to write a piece about wind while going on a walk on a frigid, windy day; the title was inspired by a phrase from one of the tales of Winnie the Pooh later on. The piece illustrates the transformation of the wind, from a breeze to a gust of wind. The calmness at the beginning represents a gentle breeze, and the waltz-like rhythm reflects the movement of the leaves being carried away by it. As the energy picks up and the dynamics get louder, the breeze gains speed and power. At the climax, a tree is not able to hold its ground and falls down, and calmness is brought once again - as if the wind, now barely a breeze, is satisfied with its work.

Performed by The Little Orchestra Society @ Vivaldi’s Virtuosas! on March 5th and 6th, 2022.

First performed by FTM’s Pannonia quartet at the National Opera Center for the 2019 Composers Now Festival Opening Event. (Event photos: https://www.facebook.com/ComposersNow/photos/a.2357463634500507/2357465181167019/?type=3&theater)

Later choreographed for the 2019 annual ballet show hosted by The Dance Gallery.

2019 Annual Dance Gallery showcase