Event Title
Chen Yi's Solo Piano Work - Northern Scenes
Performer / Ensemble
Xinshuang Jin (Piano)
Date of Publication
3-26-2021
Document Type
Concert
Abstract / Program Notes
Chen Yi (b.1953) is a prolific American-Chinese composer and composes a variety of repertoire including orchestral, choral, chamber and works written for Chinese traditional instruments. She holds a BA and MA in music composition from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and a DMA from Columbia University in New York City. Because her unique experiences in both eastern and western cultures, she is an internationally recognized for creating a unique body of music that brings together the aesthetic concepts and musical elements of the East and West. Chen Yi’s solo piano work Northern Scenes (2013) is inspired by two paintings by Liu Guosong (b. 1932), who is considered as “the father of Chinese ink painting.” Ink wash painting, or Shuimo, is a type of East Asian brush painting that uses black ink – as used in East Asian calligraphy – in different concentrations. The first is a painting of the lotus flower, which is one of the early works in Ink Stain style of Liu Guosong. The painter uses ink stain style to create the impressions of mountains, water, and lotus. The second is a painting of mountains that seems to be endless and gives rooms for imagination and suspension. In general, the piece evokes imaginative, expressive, and passionate qualities in a vertical soundscape and space. The following lines shows the images that inspired Chen Yi to compose the music: In the north, the vast and magnificent blue mountains, Boundless, desolate, and indistinct.
Biography
A native of China, Xinshuang Jin is an active soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician in both Asia and United States. Xinshuang is prolific with a wide range of repertoire and styles, and has successfully given numerous solo concerts and ensemble performances. She won the Honor Student Scholarship from Middle School attached to Shenyang Conservatory of Music and was selected into the Ameri-china International Elite Class of 2010 by world-renowned concert pianist Chu-Fang Huang. Xinshuang received her Bachelor of Music degree from East Tennessee State University and graduated summa cumda laude. Xinshuang received her Master’s Degree from Texas Christian University and she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music in Piano Performance at Florida State University. Apart from her performing and accompanying career, Xinshuang is also a devoted instructor with ten years of teaching experience and works with piano students of a wide age range both in the United States and China. As an educator, she has participated in conferences and given presentations for Music Teachers National Association and Florida State Music Teachers Association. Xinshuang has participated in and performed solo pieces and chamber music at Brevard Music Festival, Heartland Chamber Music Festival, and Chautauqua Music Festival. She also won prizes in various competitions including FSU X. Annual Competition, TMTA Collegiate Piano Solo Competition, TMTA Collegiate Piano Ensemble, II Future Stars International Piano Competition, the North International Music Competition and the V Paderewski International Piano Competition.
Keywords
Piano, Liu Guosong
Description
10-minute showcase performance
Chen Yi's Solo Piano Work - Northern Scenes
Chen Yi (b.1953) is a prolific American-Chinese composer and composes a variety of repertoire including orchestral, choral, chamber and works written for Chinese traditional instruments. She holds a BA and MA in music composition from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and a DMA from Columbia University in New York City. Because her unique experiences in both eastern and western cultures, she is an internationally recognized for creating a unique body of music that brings together the aesthetic concepts and musical elements of the East and West. Chen Yi’s solo piano work Northern Scenes (2013) is inspired by two paintings by Liu Guosong (b. 1932), who is considered as “the father of Chinese ink painting.” Ink wash painting, or Shuimo, is a type of East Asian brush painting that uses black ink – as used in East Asian calligraphy – in different concentrations. The first is a painting of the lotus flower, which is one of the early works in Ink Stain style of Liu Guosong. The painter uses ink stain style to create the impressions of mountains, water, and lotus. The second is a painting of mountains that seems to be endless and gives rooms for imagination and suspension. In general, the piece evokes imaginative, expressive, and passionate qualities in a vertical soundscape and space. The following lines shows the images that inspired Chen Yi to compose the music: In the north, the vast and magnificent blue mountains, Boundless, desolate, and indistinct.