• For violin, clarinet, harp, and percussion

• Duration: 10 minutes

• Commissioned by Yvonne Lam for Michigan State University Lunar New Year Concert Series

• Program notes:

    Awakening Dragon unfolds a musical tableau, encapsulating the majestic emergence of a mythical dragon from its year-long slumber to herald the Lunar New Year. Commissioned by Yvonne Lam for Michigan State University's Lunar New Year Concert Series, the composition breathes life into an ancient, mystical dance. From the initial, gentle rhythms portraying the creature's stirring from sleep, to the playful and exuberant melodies illustrating its skyward dance, each note is imbued with vibrant energy. The piece culminates in a sonorous roar, echoing the dragon’s glorious return, a symbol of renewal and potent vitality, marking the commencement of a hopeful, prosperous year.

• For erhu and violin

• Duration: 5 minutes

• Commissioned by Patrick Yim and Xiaodong Wei

• Program notes:

      Hide and Seek takes the idea from the old and popular children's game, where the music materials are fragmented and hidden at the beginning. Through exploration by the duet, the music evolves from fragmentation to a cohesive whole. This ongoing “hide and seek” process allows listeners to use their imagination to know who is hiding and who is seeking— there is no right or wrong way of interpreting it. Try to seek the hidden and have fun!
     Hide and Seek was commissioned and premiered by violinist, Patrick Yim, and erhu player,  Xiaodong Wei.

• For clarinet, bassoon, French horn, 2 violins, viola, cello, and double bass

• Duration: 10 minutes

• Commissioned by Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia

• Program notes:

      Eight Immortals and the Sea draws inspiration from the Chinese Taoism mythology. The Eight Immortals are considered to be signs of prosperity and longevity, so they are popular themes in ancient and medieval art. Among the literature on the subject, one of the work made during the Ming Dynasty (c. 14th–15th centuries) is called The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea. It is about the Immortals on their way to attend the Conference of the Magical Peach when they encounter an ocean. Instead of relying on their clouds to get them across, Lü Dongbin suggested that they each should exercise their unique powers to get across. Derived from this, the Chinese proverb “The Eight Immortals cross the sea, each reveals its divine powers” indicates the situation that everybody shows off their skills and expertise to achieve a common goal.

       In the composition, the eight players who each musically represent one of the legendary Immortals depict a more abstract and loose-structured picture of the story. The music takes over its own logic beyond the inspiration and focuses on the collaborative and dramatic elements represented in the story. It also treats the “sea” as an equally important aspect to present the relationship between individual Immortals (each musician) and the Sea (composite sound world contributed by the entire ensemble).

• For flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion

• Duration: 10 minutes

• Commissioned by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble

• Program notes:

    Migration is a concerto for chamber ensemble. It draws excerpts from the “World Map” series, which is a collection of five mini-concertos for quintet, which takes listeners on a journey around the world, opening their ears to music’s evolution as an international unifier. Song of Matilda brings listeners to Australia with a thematic interpretation of the classic bush ballad, “Waltzing Matilda.” The European leg of the journey is represented by the song of Lindembaum, a nostalgic piece inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Dryad. Song of Peace is inspired by Korean culture and traditional music, drawing its name from the inter-Korean Peace House. There is also a touch of surrealism with a pianistic depiction of a wintry weather in subtropical Canton, in the fast passage featuring the piano.

• For wind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn in F,  bassoon)

• Duration: 10 minutes

• Commissioned by the Women's Wind Ensemble

• Program notes:

      Back of the Bus pays tribute to Rosa Parks' courageous fight for civil rights, which changed the course of history. The piece employs various musical episodes to represent the struggles, pain, fight for justice, and ultimately, the hope that emerged from those challenging times. The music progresses from a darker, more somber tone to a brighter and more hopeful sound, reflecting the journey from oppression to liberation. This abstract representation of the struggle for freedom is brought to life through the interplay of different musical colors and textures. Back of the Bus was commissioned by the Women's Wind Ensemble after winning their prestigious Women of Note Composition Competition.

• For string quartet (2 violins, viola, cello)

• Duration: 16 minutes (without narration); 20 minutes (with narration)

• Commissioned by the Composers' Guild of New Jersey for the Argus Quartet

• Narration text by Joshua Anderson

• Program notes:

      Miss Ying-Ning was commissioned by the Composers Guild of New Jersey for the Argus Quartet’s 2019-20 Season. It draws inspiration from a story in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, a collection of Chinese folk tales by Qing dynasty scholar Pu Songling. In seven movements, the music depicts the plotline of how the man and the half-fox girl meet, fall in love, get married, and fight for justice together.

     Miss Ying-Ning can be played with or without narration; the text can be narrated by any performer or performers, or a narrator.

     Thanks to the Argus Quartet, who came up with the brilliant idea as well as the text that is added in between movements, and to my friend, clarinetist Dr. Joshua Anderson, who helped refining the text with delicate retain of the originality of the story, as well as a fine touch of the lyrical artistry.

• For saxophone quartet

• Duration: 12 minutes

• Premiered by Donald Sinta Quartet

• Program notes:

     Suite for Saxophones is a three-movement work that finds inspiration in the notion of "Radical Non-Defensiveness," an important communication skill advocating openness to different perspectives. This idea is articulated in musical terms, allowing the piece to serve as a sonic guide through the process of understanding, embracing, and resolving conflicts.
    The first movement, "Feeding the Spiral," mirrors the intensity of conflict. It captures the spiraling cycle of defensive responses, reflecting the discord and tension that arises from contradictions and disagreements.
  "Reasoning the Chaos," the second movement, embodies the process of working through confusion and chaos. Presented as a fugue that is frequently interrupted, it ultimately finds order, mirroring the journey from contention towards comprehension and agreement.
    The final movement, "Absolution," uses aleatoric notation to depict resolution and tranquility. The harmony, more consonant than in the preceding movements, signals a return to equilibrium, representing the cathartic calm that follows the resolution of conflict.
    Suite for Saxophones was awarded First Place in the 2016 Michigan Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer Competition and was a runner-up in the 2015 Donald Sinta Quartet Commissioning Competition.