May 2020 (for solo violin)

Flutter is based on Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, a dark fantasy novel about secret societies in Yale. This piece illustrates a particular moment when the protagonist first encounters magic. She is introduced to a magical moth species that can drink or suck up ink from any surface by beating their wings, and she comes to a shocking revelation that the world is not what it seems when the moths completely erase her full sleeve tattoo by drinking the ink on her arms. The beginning of this piece conveys waves of anxiety, the protagonist’s initial reaction to the moths - not only because she experiences magic for the first time, but because she has a phobia of butterflies. Then, with a “plink” of the tremolo and pizzicato double stop half way throughout the piece, the music illustrates the wonder, curiosity, and awe that soon overwhelms her.

illustrated by Yuri Lee

May 2020 (for full orchestra)

Hey Warrior, Keep Going was originally a brass quintet about overcoming obstacles in sports and other aspects of life. However, with the COVID-19 outbreak that brought many people in the world hardships and pain, I decided to orchestrate this piece to give energy and hope to everyone - the frontline workers, struggling laborers, the jobless, overworked parents - and to show appreciation towards those who are risking their lives to save others.

April 2020 (for mezzo-soprano and violin)

“The Tyger” is a famous poem by William Blake who was a pious man and an accomplished painter before he became interested in poetry. He frequently incorporated biblical themes in his paintings and poems, since he was extremely religious during the earlier part of his life. But, this particular poem contains a dark undertone as the speaker asks a series of rhetorical questions regarding the existence and the audacity of God. It is a good representation of a crisis of faith, which may have been affected by a traumatic event in 1787 (which was when his beloved brother died from tuberculosis at the age of 24. This poem actually goes hand in hand with another poem Blake wrote called “The Lamb”, which is kind of like paying tribute to God and the creation of the world. So I began the piece with a sweet “lamb” motif that progresses into dark, twisted music to illustrate the change in his view of God. I hope you enjoy, The Tyger.

Performed remotely on zoom by Duo Cortona on May 9th, 2020

Oct. 2019 - Feb. 2020 (for brass quintet)

The playoff game on Halloween of 2019 - fighting for the goal to break the tie that had all of us on edge throughout the whole 80 minute game, plus the 20 minute overtime. Recalling August 19th, the beginning of all of the running, the practices in the rain, the kicking of the ball on mud, and the coming together of the team began, we fought for victory, forgetting the fact that we would have already been trick-or-treating by the second 10-minute overtime that we were in. And as the final whistle was blown with the ball at the back of our net, my soccer season ended with literal blood, sweat, and tears. Players and teams like mine, who work hard but only have had four wins (if you count the two by forfeits), sometimes need the push to propel them forward. Countless emotions - pure joy, exhaustion, frustration and surprise - are involved with sports; this is a piece written to remind them of their love and passion for what they do.

Jan. 2020 (for bandoneon, two violins, cello and bass)

Mystery Tango is based on the concept of an escape room, which is a thrilling adventure inside a room full of riddles. A series of clues are discovered as you uncover the mystery to the plot, but you must piece together the puzzle pieces before it is too late. This piece illustrates the thrill and enigma of solving the case. 

Performed by Rodolfo M. Zanetti, Lucie Gelinas, Yuri Lee, Devree Lewis, and Pedro Giraudo at MCM Live Tango Music Winter Night on February 7th, 2020.

Nov. 2019 (for string quartet)

Look Up was inspired by a car ride to NYC for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with my parents. Surrounded by soft music, I was nodding off, until the car jolted over a bump. Ahead, above, and all around us, I saw the beautiful tints of orange, yellow, and pink being painted on the light blue canvas. The sky was glowing with vibrant, breathtaking intensity, and coincidentally, the well-known song “What a Wonderful World” was being played at that moment. I quickly shook my mom awake and asked her to take pictures from the front seat, refusing to forget this stunning scenery. However, I knew that I had to enjoy the moment, for nothing gold can stay. So, don’t forget to look up and take in the beauty of nature around you from time to time; life is too short to miss out on the simple, pure joys that you can experience in this world. 

Performed by Mivos Quartet

Sept. 2019 (for full orchestra)

Based on Bradbury’s short story “The Day It Rained Forever”, which takes place in a ghost town hotel on a burning desert. Three old men await the January rains, having to live there for three decades with lack of passion for life. A musician comes to visit, who has set out in determination to find an audience who would truly appreciate her music. After the old men’s hospitality, the old woman repays them by playing music on her harp, bringing rain - the symbol for transformation and regeneration.

Orchestra finalist for the National Young Composers Challenge 2019.

Short ver.

Aug. 2019 (for solo piano)

Chess was later arranged into a solo piano version, where it zooms out of the same chess match, not being too specific about every move made but focusing on the tension and suspense on the battlefield. 

Winner of NYSSMA’s Call for Composers & Songwriters in 2020, and performed by Annbritt duChateau at NYSSMA’s Winter Conference Young Composers Showcase Livestream.

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!