(Commissioned and premiered by violinist Patrick T.S. Yim)
Performances
September 21, 2018 at the “Romanza” Concert (Presented by Kawai Chan and sponsored by Tom Lee Music), Lecture Hall, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Hong Kong. (World Premiere Performance)
December 1, 2018 at the “Saturday Music Platform” (Presented by Kung Music Workshop & Tai Kwun Center for Heritage and Art), Tai Kwun Laundry Steps, Hong Kong.
Programme Notes
Away Alone Aloft is inspired by the well-known Chinese tale of the Moon Lady
(Chang’e), who stole the elixir of immortality, unexpectedly becoming a Goddess and
and ascending to the moon, separating herself from her beloved husband. Legend
goes that her silhouette has become the dark shades of the moon as seen from the
Earth.
The melodic materials and overall character of the piece are based on the poem
Chang’e by Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin, who expressed with his poem the loneliness and regrets of the Moon Lady. This piece is also written for people who are not able to re-unite with their family and loved ones during the Mid-autumn Festival.
This work is commissioned by and dedicated to violinist Patrick Yim.
Chang’e by Li Shangyin (translation by the composer)
Through the screens of Mica,
The candle lights flicker.
As the Milk Way descends,
The morning stars are drowned by the dawn.
The Moon Lady should have regretted
Stealing the elixir of life.
The dark blue sky and azure sea
Chill her heart night by night.
《嫦娥》李商隱
雲母屏風燭影深，
長河漸落曉星沉。
嫦娥應悔偷靈藥，
碧海青天夜夜心。
About Kai-Young CHAN
Kai-Young Chan is often inspired by ancient and contemporary Asian cultural traditions, and he is particularly drawn to the musicality of Chinese literature expressed through the tonal properties of the Cantonese language. His music is performed across the continents by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, PRISM Quartet, Mivos Quartet, Daedalus Quartet, Dolce Suono Ensemble, and International Ensemble Modern Academy, and Hong Kong New Ensemble, among other prominent performers. His selected works are released on Ablaze, innova, and PARMA records, with scores published by Editions Peters (London) and Central Conservatory of Music Press(Beijing).
Chan is part of the first artist delegation of American Composers Forum to the Havana Festival for Contemporary Music in Cuba, a historic tour documented by the National Public Radio. His music is featured in two editions of ISCM World Music Days (2015 in Slovenia, 2012 in Belgium), International Rostrum of Composers (2014 in Finland), International Forum of New Music Manuel Enriquez (Mexico), Risuonanze Festival (Italy), Internationalen Ferienkurse Darmstadt (Germany), and Musicarama(Hong Kong).
Chan is a winner of the Keuris Composition Prize, the Emissary Quartet Composition Competition, Dolce Suono Ensemble Composition Competition, the Orchestra Seattle and Seattle Chamber Singers Competition, the Vocal Espoo Choral Composition Competition, Association for the Promotion of New Music Composition Competition, the Audience Prize of the Hong Kong Composer’s Showcase organized by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Speech Choir Young Composer Award, CASH Music Scholarships, among other honors.
A Benjamin Franklin Fellow, Chan earned his PhD in Music Composition from the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked with Jay Reise, James Primosch, and Anna Weesner. He currently serves on the faculty of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he earned his Master of Music under the supervision of Victor Chan, and Bachelor of Arts in Translation with first class honours.
陳啟揚於美國賓夕法尼亞大學完成作曲博士學位，由富蘭克林研究學人獎學金全額資助，並先後於香港中文大學取得一級榮譽文學士及作曲音樂碩士，師隨陳偉光教授。現任教於香港中文大學音樂系。
陳啟揚的作品曾獲美國匹茲堡交響樂團、奧爾巴尼交響樂團、西雅圖樂團、寇蒂斯音樂學院樂團、坦帕灣交響樂團、Daedalus弦樂四重奏、Mivos弦樂四重奏、Mise-en樂團、俄羅斯Cantando四重奏、德國國際現代合奏音樂學院、香港管弦樂團、香港小交響樂團等樂團演奏，並先後入選國際現代音樂節2012 (比利時)、華人作曲家音樂節2013(香港)、Risuonanze 音樂節 (意大利)、國際作曲家交流會議2014(芬蘭)、2015國際新音樂論壇（墨西哥）、國際現代音樂節2015 (斯洛文尼亞)、2015夏灣拿現代音樂節(古巴)、2016埃斯波聲樂節(芬蘭)、2016 soundSCAPE（意大利）、2017中國東盟音樂節（中國）、2017 華倫西亞音樂節（西班牙）、2018水牛城六月音樂節（美國）、2018西北室內音樂節（美國）等國際音樂節。其樂譜出版商包括Edition Peters、香港兒童合唱團等，而唱片則由PARMA、Innova、Ablaze等唱片公司全球發行。
陳啟揚曾獲荷蘭克瑞斯國際作曲比賽首獎、美國艾美薩利長笛四重奏國際作曲比賽首獎、芬蘭埃斯波聲樂節作曲獎、香港管弦樂團作曲家巡禮之聽眾大獎、香港作曲及作詞家協會獎學金等殊榮。作曲與教研以外，陳氏亦致力於編曲、配樂、翻譯等工作。
Patrick T.S. Yim, violinist 