PRESS

"...forms the basis of “When Purple Mountains Burn,” which boasts a vivid, dramatic score by composer Shuying Li. For the role of Iris, Li requires an electrifying vocal high-wire act, and soprano Winnie Nieh rose thrillingly to the occasion."

"OPERA America is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Discovery Grants from the Opera Grants for Women Composers program. These composers will receive a total of $100,000 to support development activities of seven new theatrical works for the trained voice and instrumental ensemble. "

"each displaying the talents of one of the Four Corners Ensemble members and the incredible span of Shuying Li's compositional tool box."

"An extremely diverse effort where plenty of soloing is much appreciated, World Map lives up to its title with sharp, cultured and always dynamic song craft that resonates with a timelessness that will be relevant for decades to come."

"It is a brilliant conclusion to the series, fusing Western and Eastern musical traditions in its volatile soundscape." " An enjoyable disc."

"The interpretations of the Four Corners Ensemble show the musicians’ high technical level as well as their commitment with which they make Shuying Li’s music attractive, not least because it is not only rich but also emotional."

"Sitting close to the keyboard, Nobu delivered a precise, exciting, and nuanced performance of Frédéric Chopin's (1810-1849) Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, op.21, composed around 1830. As rearranged for a small orchestra by Shuying Li, the streamlined ensemble became more of an equal partner than simply an accompanist."

"See-sawing between the intimately personal and universal, Li’s composition found structural balance between a tone poem and and a bit of postmodernism. Out Came the Sun should be worthy of many performances after its premiere."

"Most effective was the music expressing the mother’s depression, with melodies of wry melancholy that seemed to capture the puzzlement of such a mood after the celebratory days after the birth of a child."

"There are not many composers whose new works I am excited to hear. Some of my current favorites include Kaija Saariaho, Sunleif Rasmussen, Sebastian Fagerlund and John Adams. I will now add Shuying Li to this list. Her new composition, “Out Came the Sun”, which Orpheus premiered in this performance, is stunning."

"Shuying Li's world premier Out Came The Sun shone on its own as the orchestra played the highly dramatic notes signaling the monumental event of a child's birth. A sweet lullaby on the celeste suggests the contrasting moods of childbirth. This composition stood well on its own, full of harmonic clouds which contrasted the emotions which wildly swing in a new mother. Orpheus showed clearly how it fit in the evening, with hidden messages, painful tones and an overall sense of the messages music can deliver."

"she has insisted on her own musical personality, which proved to have a gentle touch with orchestration."

"The overture to the opera “The Siege,” by Shuying Li, which had its world premiere after intermission, encompassed enough moments of beauty to suggest that there is a real talent here waiting to emerge once the 24-year-old composer has broken the shackles of old-fashioned Modern Music in the tired conventional manner."