One of my students is a composer!

[springrite]

I am going to a concert on December 30th where a concert overture will be premiered. It's composed by Amber Dai, a 16 year old student in my Psychology class and Humanities class. I am so looking forward to it!

We had a short talk last night. She's in 11th grade and will be looking to go overseas to study composition. I told her I have a few composer friends here in GMG. Wouldn't it be nice if she goes to Boston? How about that Karl?

Any advise on her future academic destination? I have suddenly become her adviser and I want the best for her!

[relm1]

I am going to a concert on December 30th where a concert overture will be premiered. It's composed by Amber Dai, a 16 year old student in my Psychology class and Humanities class. I am so looking forward to it!

We had a short talk last night. She's in 11th grade and will be looking to go overseas to study composition. I told her I have a few composer friends here in GMG. Wouldn't it be nice if she goes to Boston? How about that Karl?

Any advise on her future academic destination? I have suddenly become her adviser and I want the best for her!

I love these sort of topics.  I judge high school composition contests and would love to hear the work if it gets recorded.  Congrats to your student!

[vandermolen]

I also heard a performance of a piece by one of my students - a very happy experience.

[(poco) Sforzando]

She ought to put a portfolio together and look into the major music programs in the U.S. - Juilliard in NY, Curtis in Philadelphia, Peabody in Baltimore, Oberlin, Eastman in Rochester NY, Ann Arbor Michigan, New England Conservatory, perhaps a few more - to see which bests suits her. And then apply away!

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

This is very cool! Is this a performance by a professional orchestra/ensemble? It isn't often a 16 year old gets any kind of performance opportunity for her compositions so I hope this becomes an even more common thing for her in the coming years.

A portfolio is a great thing to have ready for any applications into tertiary courses, I can't really add any extra advice to what's already been said.

[arpeggio]

It is great to see people talking about another young composer other than Alma Deutscher.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

It is great to see people talking about another young composer other than Alma Deutscher.

Let's not go there.......................................................

[springrite]

It will be performed by a student orchestra at the New Year's Even Concert. Maybe not a professional orchestra, but a major performance nonetheless. I am sure there will be more to come next year!

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

It will be performed by a student orchestra at the New Year's Even Concert. Maybe not a professional orchestra, but a major performance nonetheless. I am sure there will be more to come next year!

This is brilliant! It is especially challenging for any composer to write for student orchestras in particular due to their limitations relative to professional musicians. Kudos to her.

[springrite]

Review!!!

The New Year's Concert by the BDFZ (High School Affiliated with Peking University) Wind Orchestra (Band) is a special occasion. The Zhishan Auditorium was filled to near capacity by proud parents, teachers and students.

The program is a mix of warhorses like Finlandia, Peer Gynt Suite, moderato movement from Rachmaninov PC2 and the allegretto from Brahms 3rd symphony, as well as the less familiar oddities from James Barnes and others.

As would be expected from a student performance, there was a nervous energy which leads to much unpredictability. This was made more difficult by the fact that most of the works on the program were originally written for full orchestra. Wind adaptation inevitably took away some of the color, balance and grandeur. As a student orchestra had to make do with the available players/instruments at hand, even for works for band, not all the instruments required by the original score was at disposal, resulting in an imbalance, especially the lack of enough trombones and trumpets which were needed to bring the blaring fanfares and vroom come alive. But even with these limitations and handicaps, as the performance often ranges from exhilarating and excruciating, after the early nerves burned itself out, the players eventually settled into a grove, especially starting in Rach PC2, before the intermission.

In the second half, the players played with much more confidence. But the highlight of the entire evening was the world premiere of a  Concert Overture for Winds by Dai Mofan, a 16 year-old student at Dalton Academy of BDFZ who is also the principal horn. Of all the works on the program, it had the clear advantage of being composed precisely for the forces at hand. That being said, Ms. Dai showcased her compositional skills in terms of formal integrity, melodic inventions, and most impressively, that of orchestration/instrumentation. The balance was immaculate as every instrumental color came through in all their glory. In a few short minutes, exulted fanfare , driving rhythm, pastoral serenity and lyrical sweetness took turns pleasing the senses. There was enough musical meat in the composition to spin for much longer. But she never allowed anything to overstay its welcome. When the last note had sounded,  a well deserved round of thunderous applause showed the audiences' appreciation. As most Chinese audience unfamiliar with classical music applauded politely albeit loudly, I couldn't help but shout out "Bravo" twice, much to the surprise (and chagrin) to the audience around me. They were probably unaware that this apparent barbaric behavior was actually the most appropriate of all on this occasion.

An encore of a Piazzolla work concluded what was a most memorable and special occasion. 

As I was leaving the venue, I couldn't help but still thinking about Ms. Dai's maiden composition. Her knowledge of the wind instrument was indeed admirable. I am looking forward to her future compositions, especially works not for winds alone. Maybe a string quartet, piano trio, septet of various instruments, or an overture for full orchestra is in the pipeline? I sure hope so.

Ms. Dai was overjoyed at her successful debut as a composer. She told me that the experience was "just like how I had imagined myself walking down the red carpet at my wedding". "This is only the rehearsal. The best is yet to come" was my reply.

Someone once described the joy of listening to great music as "sweet anticipation ".  Let's all follow and anticipate the growth and development of this very talented budding composer. I know my composer and musician friends in Boston, New York and Philadelphia are being to anticipate her choice of her next destination. New England Conservatory? Juilliard? Curtis? Let's all enjoy this sweet anticipation together.

Paul Yin aka SpringRite

[Karl Henning]

Lovely, Paul.

[relm1]

Wow, great review!  Congrats to you and your apprentice!  I would love to hear it.

[relm1]

Did your student's piece get recorded?  Would love to have a listen.

[springrite]

Did your student's piece get recorded?  Would love to have a listen.

No, not yet. It was played in Minnesota earlier this year as well.

She's working on several new pieces right now. 

[Karl Henning]

No, not yet. It was played in Minnesota earlier this year as well.

She's working on several new pieces right now.

Very good. Keep us apprised!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[springrite]

I am writing Letters of Recommendation right now for Amber to Eastman, Boston Conservatoire and others.

[Karl Henning]

Good luck!