Concert by AIR Contemporary Music Collective

2025.5.20（Tuesday）15：00

Concert by AIR Contemporary Music Collective

2025.5.20（Tuesday）15：00

CCOM Recital Hall

Program

HUANG Wen   Luminous Energy：Reflections upon Fireflies for Erhu, Guqin, Guzheng, Pipa, Yangqin, Sheng, Piano, and Percussion                                                10’

YUE Yan                 intro for Pipa and Sheng 

 Monolith II for Guqin and Live Electronics                    15’

LIN Muxuan  Through the Glass of Chrysocolla for Bass Flute, Guzheng, Electronics and Video                      16’

——————Intermission——————

WEN Ziyang       Gazing into the Wild for Erhu and Five Folk music players              10’

JIN Zhuosheng  Nomad Beyond for Yangqin, Erhu, Guqin, and Piano                                                           10’

Carolyn Chen  Relationships with Gravity for Erhu, Guqin, Percussion, Piano and Video                                    18’

Introduction

AIR Contemporary Music Collective

Since its founding in 2019, the AIR Contemporary Music Collective has been dedicated to exploring innovative applications of Chinese traditional instruments, with a focus on experimentation, cross-cultural collaboration, high technical standards, and aesthetic diversity. AIR aims to break through the conventional boundaries of traditional Chinese music by creating a platform that emphasizes artistic experimentation and deeper engagement between composers and performers from China and abroad. Through this mission, the ensemble seeks to broaden the aesthetic scope of Chinese music and expand the technical possibilities of its instruments.

Co-founders WANG Zitong and YUE Yan have been actively engaged in realizing this vision through a wide range of projects. Since its inception, AIR has curated and presented numerous concerts and lecture events, launching a series of scholarly initiatives centered on Chinese traditional music. From 2019 to 2021, the ensemble independently produced two full-length concerts at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the 77 Theater. In the fall of 2021, AIR was invited to perform a featured concert at the Hangzhou Contemporary Music Festival, hosted by Zhejiang Conservatory of Music.

In response to the challenges of the pandemic era, AIR launched the “AIRpod” podcast series, which introduces and reflects on the aesthetics of experimental music. The ensemble has also completed the first drafts of five concise instrument guides on Chinese traditional instruments. In November 2024, AIR was invited to deliver a lecture at the School of Arts, Renmin University of China, focusing on the evolving role of traditional instruments in the 21st century. In December, the ensemble was once again invited to Shenzhen for a featured concert in collaboration with composer and professor JIN Zhuosheng of Shenzhen Conservatory of Music and Longcheng CC Creative Park, continuing its mission to push the boundaries of Chinese music innovation.

AIR’s commissioned composers to date include: Miles Friday, ZHANG Xin, JIN Zhuosheng, LIU Anqi, LIU Rui, Joshua Alvarez Mastel, Janet Sit, Rachel C. Walker, WANG Erqing, YU Haotian, YUE Yan, and Justin Zeitlinger.

Co-founder

WANG Zitong

Doctoral candidate at the Central Conservatory of Music | BOB Distinguished Talent Scholar | National Scholarship Recipient | Wenhua Award Laureate | Co-founder of AIR Contemporary Music Collective

WANG Zitong is currently pursuing his doctoral degree at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), where he was recognized as a BOB Distinguished Talent Scholar. He is a recipient of multiple national-level honors, including the National Scholarship and the Wenhua Award. As a co-founder of the AIR Contemporary Music Collective, WANG plays an active role in advancing contemporary expression within Chinese traditional music. He has studied under the renowned erhu virtuoso and educator Professor YU Hongmei—currently Party Secretary of CCOM—since 2007, and was admitted to CCOM’s Primary and Secondary Schools before entering the undergraduate program in 2016 with the top ranking in his major. That same year, he began formal studies in banhu with Professor HU Yu, joined the Shengfeng Chamber Ensemble, and was appointed concertmaster. In both 2019 and 2023, he was admitted into CCOM’s master’s and doctoral programs as the top-ranking student in the Chinese music department.

WANG has maintained a highly active presence on stages across China and abroad, having given nearly ten solo recitals in cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jinan, and Singapore. His performances have received praise from critics and audiences alike. He was invited to perform in the United Nations’ 70th Anniversary Commemorative Concert, and has taken part in numerous music festivals and residency programs. A committed interpreter of new music, WANG has premiered many contemporary works, including Clear Shadow · Fluttering, which received the Gold Prize at the Golden Huqin Chamber Works Showcase, and Five Scenes of Spring, which won the Bronze Prize at the Jiangnan-Style Erhu Competition during the “Shanghai Spring” Festival. He is deeply engaged with the evolving expressive potential of the Erhu in contemporary contexts, combining traditional techniques with experimental aesthetics to expand the instrument’s creative boundaries.

In the realm of Chinese chamber music, WANG has been a core member of the Shengfeng Chamber Ensemble, performing in dedicated concerts throughout Shenzhen, Qingdao, Chengdu, and Beijing. He is also the founder of the AIR Contemporary Music Collective, a forward-looking ensemble that centers on Chinese traditional instruments while embracing cross-cultural and experimental musical practices. Under his artistic direction, AIR has launched several key initiatives, including the “AIR Concert Series,” the Contemporary Guide to Chinese Traditional Instruments, and a series of micro-documentaries. The ensemble’s flexible instrumentation, stylistic versatility, and academic grounding have earned it wide recognition across the Chinese contemporary music scene, positioning AIR as one of the leading platforms for experimental Chinese music today.

YUE Yan

A Chinese music creator based in Beijing, focuses his recent works on topics such as stereotypes, consumer culture, and industrial environments, while exploring their social contexts and pioneering interdisciplinary collaborations within theatrical and dramatic settings. His recent projects include several theatrical works created in collaboration with the Baden-Württemberg University of Performing Arts. Additionally, his practice investigates non-Western instruments (particularly the interaction and exchange of traditional performance methods), collaborative multimedia installations (including undergraduate projects with professors from the Central Academy of Fine Arts), and live electronic music techniques. He is the co-founder and co-artistic director of the "AIR Modern Music Collective."

YUE Yan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Composition from the Eastman School of Music in the United States with academic honors. He studied under Robert Morris, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, Oliver Schneller, and Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, receiving the Bernard Rogers Memorial Prize, the Anthony and Carolyn Donato Award, and the Belle S. Gitelman Award from the composition department. In 2024, he graduated from the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts (HfMDK) with a Master’s degree in Composition, achieving highest grades under the mentorship of Orm Finnendahl and Ulrich Kreppein.

Composers

According to the repertoire order

HUANG Wen

Huang Wen, a young composer and pianist, serves as a full-time composition faculty member at Hunan University, Resident Composer of the Hunan National Orchestra, Vice President of the Composition and Composition Theory Society of the Hunan Musicians Association, Vice President of the Music Creation Society of the Changsha Musicians Association, and Council Member of the Piano Society of the Hunan Musicians Association. She has been a member of the organizing committee for multiple editions of the Beijing Modern Music Festival.

A graduate of the Composition Department of the Central Conservatory of Music, Huang studied under Professor Xiaogang YE, Chairman of the Chinese Musicians Association, Dean of the School of Music at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), and faculty member of the Central Conservatory of Music. Her works have earned numerous accolades, including the Silver Award at the 4th China (Hong Kong) Piano Composition Competition, the Highest Prize at the 2nd China-ASEAN Music Festival Composition Competition, the Silver Award and Best Composition Award at the 2018 "Qintai•Dunhuang Cup" Chinese Guqin Art New Works Competition, the Special Award at the 2024 Australia International Youth Arts Festival, and selection in the 2024 "New Era" Chinese Choral Works Collection, among others.

Huang’s compositions span diverse musical genres. She has participated in creative and performance activities at major domestic and international music festivals, served as a core member of the 2024 National Arts Fund large-scale project team, and presented works at the 2nd National Traditional Instrumental Music Exhibition. She has published over ten music compositions, core journal articles, and books, delivered speeches at academic conferences worldwide, composed film scores, and led provincial and ministerial-level research projects. Her works have been performed in collaboration with orchestras across China, the United States, Russia, Switzerland, Australia, Singapore, and more, including the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, China National Traditional Orchestra, Bard East-West Ensemble (USA), Macao Chinese Orchestra, Changsha Symphony Orchestra, Jiangsu Performing Arts Group National Orchestra, Wuhan University Petrel Chorus and so on. As an active young composer, Huang has participated in nearly 100 music events in recent years.

WEN Ziyang

WEN Ziyang, born in Chengdu in 1998, is a doctoral student in the Composition Department of the Central Conservatory of Music. He has studied under Professors HUANG Huwei, CHEN Yonggang, and JIA Guoping, and is currently under the guidance of Professor QIN Wencheng. In 2016, he ranked first in the entrance exam for the Central Conservatory of Music's Composition Department. In 2021, he was admitted to the master's program without examination, again ranking first. In 2024, he secured first place in the doctoral entrance exam. He has also received twelve years of piano instruction from Professor LI Xiumei.

In recent years, WEN Ziyang has emerged as a promising young composer. Since the age of fourteen, he has published two books and fourteen compositions. His works have been recognized in forty domestic and international music competitions and calls for scores, including multiple National Art Funds, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's "Symphony of the Times" composition review (collaboration), the National Centre for the Performing Arts Young Composers Program "Final Top Three", the first prize at the Suzhou Jinji Lake Composition Competition, and the first prize at the Weimar International Composition Competition. His reviews and articles have been published in journals such as People's Music. He has successfully collaborated with over twenty professional orchestras for world premieres, and his works have been performed in fifteen countries, including the United States, Russia, Germany, Austria, and Japan. His music has graced prestigious venues like the Berlin Concert Hall, the ORF Radio Symphony Hall in Vienna, Carnegie Hall, and the New York Lincoln Center. Additionally, WEN’s scores were published by the renowned Vienna Universal Edition (UE) publishing house, one of the 100 representatives of the China National Scholarship by People's Daily, and has been dubbed by Music Weekly as "a veritable collector of domestic and international awards."

JIN Zhuosheng

Dr. JIN Zhuosheng is an Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. Born in Ningbo, China (1991), he is a composer, pianist, and writer whose music is described as "powerful" and "haunting" (The New York Times). His works span orchestral, chamber, solo, and electronic music, often inspired by literature and filmmakers like Theo Angelopoulos and Andrei Tarkovsky. Themes of loneliness, identity, and love are central to his compositions.

JIN holds degrees from Oberlin College (BM ’15), Boston University (MM ’17), and McGill University (DMUS ’22). He has studied with Philippe Leroux, Joshua Fineberg, and Xiaogang YE, among others, and attended masterclasses with Helmut Lachenmann and Brian Ferneyhough.

He has won numerous awards, including the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award (2019), Matan Givol Composers Competition (2020), and Salvatore Martirano Award (2020). His music has been performed globally by ensembles like the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble InterContemporain, and Klangforum Wien.

JIN is also a published poet, director, and curator, with works like "Funeral of Adam" (2012) and "Flower and Solitary Dancer" (2024). He founded the "MUS Talks" Lecture Series and has lectured at institutions worldwide.

Carolyn Chen

Carolyn Chen has made music for supermarket, demolition district, and the dark. Her work reconfigures the everyday to retune habits of our ears through sound, text, light, and movement. Her studies of the guqin, a Chinese zither traditionally played for private meditation in nature, have informed her thinking on listening in social spaces. Recent projects include an audio essay on a scream and commissions for Klangforum Wien and the LA Phil New Music Group.

Described by The New York Times as “the evening’s most consistently alluring … a quiet but lush meditation,” Chen’s work has been supported by the American Academy in Berlin, the Fulbright Program, ASCAP Foundation’s Fred Ho Award, Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, Stanford University Sudler Prize, and commissions from Green Umbrella, MATA Festival, and impuls Festival. The work has been presented at festivals and exhibitions in 25 countries, at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kitchen, Disney Hall (Los Angeles), Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Guggenheim Bilbao, and the Institute for Provocation (Beijing). She has been fortunate to work with ensembles including SurPlus, Southland, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Aperture, andPlay, loadbang, koan, Dog Star Orchestra, The Reader’s Chorus, Pamplemousse, Chamber Cartel, orkest de ereprijs, S.E.M., red fish blue fish, Wild Rumpus, and The Syndicate for New Arts.

Mu-Xuan Lin

Composer Mu-Xuan Lin (b.1984, residing in USA/France) is interested in the montage and the mise-en-scène of contemporary individuals’ fragmented yet interlaced truths, of the confusion of time and place, and of identities construed and broken.

Mu-Xuan enjoys an international career; her music has been heard on SOOND and ein_klang records, and on platforms such as Festival AFEKT (Estonia), Donaueschinger Musiktage (Germany), and Piano Spheres (Los Angeles). She has worked with Ensemble Proton Bern (Switzerland), International Contemporary Ensemble (USA), Ensemble Adapter (Germany), and pianist Vicki Ray among others, and is currently working with duo NéMeu (Paris/Tokyo), trio 20º dans le noir (Paris), and sheng artist Li-Chin Li. As a writer, her article will be published by Cambridge Scholars in the volume "Crossing into Distance: Contemporary Composers on the Present and Future of Art Music" in 2025/26. Since 2023, in addition to increased activities as a video artist, Mu-Xuan is venturing into the work of curation and direction and founded Studio Nekton with Paris-based flutist Shao-Wei Chou.

Mu-Xuan received BM in Composition from the New England Conservatory, MFA and Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory from Brandeis University, and Certificate of Advanced Studies in Curating at Zürcher Hochschule der Künste. She has taught at Brandeis University, California State University Long Beach, and Chapman University. Dr. Lin is the incoming Assistant Professor of Composition at University of California, Berkeley.

The Members of AIR Contemporary Music Collective

FAN Yining, Pipa 

Doctoral candidate at the Central Conservatory of Music Member of CCOM Plucked String Ensemble, Yijing Chamber Ensemble, and AIR Contemporary Music Collective

FAN Yining began studying the Pipa at the age of four under the guidance of her grandfather, Professor FAN Huali. In 2009, she was admitted to the Primary School of the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), studying with Professor YANG Baoyuan. She continued her studies at the CCOM Middle School from 2010 under the tutelage of Professor Fan Wei. In 2020, she was admitted to the CCOM master’s program through recommendation, and in 2023, she entered the doctoral program, where she currently studies with Professor ZHANG Hongyan.

She is an active member of the CCOM Plucked String Ensemble, the Yijing Chamber Ensemble, and the AIR Contemporary Music Collective.

WU Xuemeng, Guqin

Master’s graduate in Guqin Performance, Central Conservatory of Music, Faculty Member, School of Continuing Education, Central Conservatory of Music Member, CCOM Chinese Chamber Ensemble.

WU Xuemeng is a rising Guqin performer affiliated with the Chinese Chamber Ensemble of the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), where she also teaches Guqin at the School of Continuing Education. She holds a master’s degree in Guqin performance from CCOM.

WU began her Guqin studies in 2003 under the guidance of the renowned performer and educator YANG Qing. In 2009, she was admitted to the Middle School of the China Conservatory of Music, where she studied with CHEN Leiji. She entered CCOM’s undergraduate program in Guqin performance in 2015, studying with Associate Professor ZHAO Xiaoxia. In 2017, she also enrolled in a second major in composition, studying with Professors YAO Chen and TIAN Tian. In 2019, she was recommended for admission to the master’s program at CCOM.

SUN Yashu，Guzheng

Guzheng Performer | Master's Student, Central Conservatory of Music Faculty Member, Zhongzheng Academy & CCOM Distance Education Institute Member, CCOM Performance Committee. SUN Yashu is a Guzheng performer with the China Oriental Performing Arts Group and a master's student in Guzheng performance at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), under the tutelage of renowned Guzheng artist and Changjiang Scholar Professor YUAN Sha. She serves as a principal instructor at Zhongzheng Academy, a certified Guzheng teacher trainer with the CCOM Modern Distance Music Education Institute, and a member of the CCOM “Yin Performance Series” Committee. She is also a guest instructor at the Beijing No. 12 United Taipingqiao School Traditional Music Society and served as a public volunteer at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. SUN was also invited as an expert judge for the “New Future” National Arts Education Showcase.

FENG Ruyuan，Yangqin

Yangqin Performer | Doctoral Candidate, Central Conservatory of MusicDeputy Secretary-General, Asian Yangqin Association & Yangqin Committee of the China Musical Instrument Association.

FENG Ruyuan is the first doctoral candidate in Yangqin performance at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), where she studies under Professor LIU Yuening. A recipient of the prestigious Wenhua Award—the highest honor in Chinese stage arts—she serves as Deputy Secretary-General of both the Asian Yangqin Association and the Yangqin Art Committee of the China Musical Instrument Association. She is a core member of the “Jasmine” Yangqin Ensemble at CCOM and an active member of the AIR Contemporary Music Collective. Recognized as an “Outstanding Graduate” of Beijing, Feng has also received multiple National Scholarships from the Ministry of Education, as well as various honors from CCOM for academic and artistic excellence.

Her performance career spans over ten countries, including the United States, Canada, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan. She has premiered numerous original works for Yangqin, including Spring Snow on a Thousand Peaks, Moistening Rain, Snow in Motion, Rainbow in the Clouds, Westbound, Silk Road · Jasmine, and Imaginative Night. She also served as performance coach, hand double, and soundtrack recording artist for the feature film Our Shining Days. Feng is an instructor at the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation’s Youth Music Program and a lead lecturer in the Yangqin teacher training program at CCOM’s School of Continuing Education.

DUAN Xipeng，Sheng 

Sheng Performer | Doctoral Student, Central Conservatory of Music Member, AIR Contemporary Music Collective.

DUAN Xipeng is a doctoral student in sheng performance (Class of 2024) at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), where he studies under Professor WANG Lei. He is a member of the AIR Contemporary Music Collective and was selected for the “Chamber Music Talent Development Program” supported by the Beijing Culture and Arts Fund.

DUAN began learning the sheng at an early age under the guidance of his father. In 2016, he was admitted to CCOM with outstanding results, studying with Professor YANG Shoucheng. In 2020, he was recommended for admission to CCOM’s master’s program, and in 2024, he entered the doctoral program.

DONG Yilin，Percussion

Percussionist | Composer & Stage Director | Member, CCOM Chinese Chamber Ensemble. DONG Yilin is a rising Chinese percussionist and interdisciplinary performer, currently serving as a member of the Chinese Chamber Ensemble at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM). She has been a jury member for the CCOM Youth Performance Program and formerly taught at the “Confucius Music School,” a program supported by the Chinese government’s Hanban Institute. Dong has received numerous prestigious awards, including Third Prize in the CCTV National Chinese Instrument Competition, First Prize in the National Youth Percussion Competition, the Wenhua Award (China’s highest government prize for performing arts), and a Gold Medal at the Singapore International Chinese Percussion Competition.

From 2010 to 2023, she completed her secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate studies at CCOM, studying under leading percussion figures including Professor LI Zhengui (founder of Chinese percussion studies), Professor WANG Jianhua, Associate Professor QIAO Jia, and MA Lin of the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra.

LUAN Jingxu，Piano

Pianist | Collaborative Piano Faculty, Department of Chinese Traditional Instruments, Central Conservatory of Music. LUAN Jingxu is a collaborative piano faculty member in the Department of Chinese Traditional Instruments at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM). She graduated from the CCOM Piano Department, where she studied under Professor Zhao Ling—an internationally renowned pianist, doctoral graduate from Germany, and doctoral advisor at CCOM.

Luan began her musical training at the CCOM Primary School in 2007, was admitted to the Secondary School through early recommendation in 2010, and entered the undergraduate program in 2016. She studied with Associate Professor Su Mai, Professor Jin Aiping, and Professor Shao Dan. In 2020, she was admitted to CCOM’s graduate program with the highest entrance ranking across all applicants.

LIN Xiaoyu，Flute

Flutist | Contemporary Art Curator. As one of China's most active contemporary soloists, LIN Xiaoyu centers her artistic practice around the acoustic flute while extensively exploring electronic music, multimedia theater, installation art, performance art, and other interdisciplinary fields.  

For years, LIN has collaborated closely with contemporary artists and composers worldwide, co-creating, commissioning, and premiering numerous acclaimed dedicated works. Recently, she has participated in academic performances, symposiums, and public programs as the principal flutist of the China-ASEAN Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, CHEN Xiaoyong Composition Workshop, and Ensemble Les Amis Shanghai (ELA Shanghai), as well as the guest flutist with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) School of Music and Beijing Contemporary Soloists (BCD).  

XIAO Xiang，Sound production

Currently pursuing a graduate degree in Electronic Music Composition at the Central Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Professor GUAN Peng.His research focuses on music and computer programming, music and artificial intelligence, and interactive music, and he has designed instruments and works for platforms such as Arduino, Max/MSP, Eurorack modular synthesizers and Monome Norns music computers.

Program Notes

According to the repertoire order

HUANG Wen   

Luminous Energy：Reflections upon Fireflies for Erhu, Guqin, Guzheng, Pipa, Yangqin, Sheng, Piano, and Percussion  

In the boundless night sky Fireflies shine like star

I chase them in the darkness alone They dancing enfolding mountains

They twinkle and lead me to the light This moment

Rekindle the spark

Fire my passion and hope Warm me Inspire me         

YUE Yan   

Intro for Pipa and Sheng + Monolith II for Guqin and Live Electronics                                              

Monolith · II is the second piece in my "Monolith" series for solo instrument and electronic music. The concept of "monolith" is ambiguous—it refers to a massive, singular object often imbued with monumental or ritualistic significance. I chose this term because the series explores a specific limb of solo instrumental performance, intentionally avoiding traditional sonic forms such as "melody and accompaniment." Standing before a monolith, one is always overwhelmed by the immense information reflected through its singular surface; similarly, this series attempts to probe the extreme density and aural theatricality achievable by a single limb of performance.The inspiration for Monolith · II derives from ZHANG Daqian’s splashed-ink landscapes, where the artist freely pours ink across rice paper and improvises forms based on the resulting shapes. This piece employs spectral delay techniques to extend the harmonics of the Guqin solo, creating ripple-like effects that mimic the splashed-ink process. The music oscillates between these "splashed" textures and the Guqin’s traditional techniques, ultimately coexisting and merging into a unified limb. In this BMMF performance, collaborating with XIAO Xiang, a graduate student in electronic music composition at the Central Conservatory of Music, we further intensified the electronic processing and expanded various aspects of the composition.

LIN Muxuan  

Through the Glass of Chrysocolla for Bass Flute, Guzheng, Electronics and Video   

Through the glass of Chrysocolla is a multi-sensorial experience sonified [ML1] .  It is made from the pervasive, intimate, hyperrealist sense of the present, the changing temperatures of the outdoors, and the distances and positioning between oneself and others, or the nature, or the machines.

WEN Ziyang       

Gazing into the Wild for Erhu and Five Folk music players

Gazing into the wilderness, I am reminded of three short poems, which form the three parts of the piece. Silent Mountains — "The distant mountains stand in silence, their strings' notes as cold and clear as frost." (YU Guangzhong) 

Dark Night — "Darkness rises from the earth, covering the bright sky." (Haizi) 

Murmuring Strings — "The sound of the zither is distant, like the song of the River Styx." (Dante) 

The huqin, from the perspective of the author, plays the lonely and mournful sound of the Qiang flute.  

JIN Zhuosheng 

Nomad Beyond for Yangqin, Erhu, Guqin, and Piano  

Nomad Beyond is dedicated to all those who, for various reasons, can no longer return to their homeland. In this piece, a detuned melody alternates with the detuned yangqin solo, continuing until it finally shatters in the distance.

Carolyn Chen  

Relationships with Gravity for Erhu, Guqin, Percussion, Piano and Video

I sit. The Earth sits. We pull toward each other, all the time. I don’t usually think about this unless something goes. When I fall, my body meets the earth—even if I lose focus, the pull is still working. The force is always there, pulling invisibly. The fall illuminates it.

This is an assemblage on falling. I asked people for stories about falling and explanations of gravity. The ensemble responds—sometimes measured, sometimes in games—to their interwoven words and video from falling and not-falling cameras.

Relationships with Gravity was commissioned by Music at the Anthology, Inc. for the 2014 MATA Festival of New Music.