April 2-5, 2025 | University of Alberta
Wednesday, April 2
12:00pm
Jia Guoping Masterclass/Analysis Presentation
Sound Studies Institute 3-47 Arts Bldg.
4:00pm
Intercultural Experimental Music Workshop
FAB, 1-29
Thursday, April 3
Conference Day 1
8:30am
9:00am
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
Opening Remarks | Jeffrey Roberts
Keynote: Dr. Frederick Lau, Chinese University of Hong Kong
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
"Hybridity, Authenticity, Appropriation: Composing Western Music in the New Millenium"
When John Cage and Henry Cowell began integrating Asian elements into their compositions, their work was often hailed as groundbreaking. In contrast, Chou Wen-Chung and Isang Yun, both of whom were deeply rooted in their own cultural traditions while incorporating these elements, did not receive the same level of acclaim. This disparity not only underscores the differing cultural attitudes of their respective eras but also highlights an the trend of blending Asian musical concepts within a predominantly Western musical framework. The term intercultural composition has since emerged to describe this style of music-making, reflecting a significant shift in how diverse musical traditions are perceived, utilized, and integrated in contemporary contexts. Intercultural composition has emerged as a captivating field of study, illuminating the intricate complexities involved in blending diverse musical traditions. This presentation explores the historical and ontological challenges that contemporary composers face, To gain understanding of in intercultural composition and the implications for both artists and audiences alike.
PANEL 1: CHINA
(10:00am-12:00pm)
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
Panel Chair: Jeffrey Roberts
10:00am
Zhishu Chang
Intercultural Fusion and Embodiment of Guqin Aesthetics in Lei Liang's Harp Concerto
Lei Liang’s Harp Concerto explores traditional Chinese musical aesthetics, specifically drawing from the guqin — an esteemed classical Chinese instrument celebrated for its profound timbre and associations with philosophy and personal cultivation. Liang captures the essence of the guqin in the piece by embracing its distinctive tonal qualities and rhythmic fluidity, not merely in sound but in structure and technique. By incorporating traditional guqin plucking techniques such as "ti” (剔), “gou" (勾) and glissandos like "chuo"(绰) and "zhu," (注). Liang evokes a range of sounds that transition from resonant clarity to textured, noise-infused tones. Translating these textures to the harp, he employs unconventional materials, including a tuning key and plastic bar, achieving what he describes as a "timbre crunchiness" — a compelling fusion of clarity and grit. In addition, Liang’s explores microtonal adjustments rooted in Pythagorean temperament and scordatura tuning. The harmonic approach enhances the harp's timbral resonance, creating sonorities reminiscent of the guqin's intricate tonal layering. The rhythmic design of the concerto mirrors the guqin’s fluidity, employing metric modulation and numbercontrolled rhythms to craft a temporal landscape that is structured yet unpredictably flowing. This rhythmic flexibility instills a sense of motion without rigidity, reflecting the contemplative, unhurried nature of guqin music. Through these innovative techniques and thoughtful integrations, Liang’s Harp Concerto bridges Eastern and Western musical traditions, fostering a cross-cultural dialogue that transcends stylistic boundaries in which Liang offers a modern homage that reverberates with both traditional and contemporary sensibilities.
10:30am
Chao Tian
Unheard Sounds: Navigating Identity and Memory Through Intercultural Musical Improvisation
Unheard Sounds investigates how immigrant artists negotiate identity and self-expression through musical improvisation in an intercultural context. It explores the experiences of “cultural drifting,” where immigrant artists continuously reshape their identities, balancing between cultural preservation and adaptation. This drifting highlight both the fluidity of identity and the challenges of sustaining personal and cultural memory amid change. Improvisation, in this context, serves as a liberating practice that bridges tradition and experimentation. It enables artists to develop hybrid musical languages that reflect their dynamic negotiations of belonging and transformation. There and Here, a center theme of Unheard Sounds, reimagines the Chinese dulcimer by incorporating prepared techniques that blur the boundaries between tone and noise. Through improvisation, I explore intercultural music as a dialogic tool, revealing processes of deep listening, identity negotiation, and dynamic adaptation. Improvisation functions not only as a sonic experiment but also as a spiritual practice that connects emotional experiences with structural thinking. In this context, it becomes a strategy for navigating linguistic and cultural boundaries, offering flexibility for musical expression while advancing cultural fusion and reinvention through structured experimentation. This evolving soundscape embodies layers of culture, emotion, and displacement, reflecting both personal narratives and collective transformation. The presentation invites audiences to experience the interplay of cultural continuity and transformation through an improvisation on the Chinese dulcimer. Highlighting the instrument’s expressive versatility, this live demonstration illustrates how tradition and experimentation merge to reflect identity negotiation and renewal in intercultural collaboration.
11:00am
Xingyu Ji
Examining “Chineseness” in Contemporary Cross-Cultural Music: A Study of Tan Dun’s Works
In the context of globalization, the concept of “Chineseness” in cross-cultural music compositions is a highly complex and multi-dimensional subject. This paper examines the works of Tan Dun, particularly On Taoism and Peony Pavilion, as key examples of how “Chineseness” is constructed and represented within a globalized cultural framework. Tan Dun’s fusion of traditional Chinese elements with Western contemporary techniques creates a distinctive hybrid form, making his work a focal point for studying cross-cultural musical practices.The reception of “Chineseness” in Tan’s compositions is divided. Some scholars argue that his use of elements such as Peking opera, ancient bells, and the erhu distorts or oversimplifies Chinese culture, deviating from authenticity. These critiques, however, often rest on a static and binary view of culture, failing to account for the fluid and dynamic nature of cultural identity in the global age. Based on Arjun Appadurai’s global cultural scapes theory, this paper examines “Chineseness” in Tan Dun’s works through the dimensions of “mediascapes” and “ideoscapes.” For example, in “mediascapes,” Tan Dun utilizes multimedia to disseminate his interpretation of “Chineseness” globally, intertwining tradition with modernity and technology. In “ideoscapes,” the debate surrounding “Chineseness” reveals the interplay of globalization, nationalism, and postmodernism.This paper advocates for moving beyond binary cultural interpretations, suggesting a more dynamic approach to understanding Tan Dun’s intercultural works as reflections of complex, evolving cultural identities in the global era. His compositions transcend simple East-West oppositions, creating a new space for cultural exchange and showcasing the fluidity and diversity of contemporary intercultural music.
11:30am
John Robinson
The Roles of Chinese Instruments in Zhu Jianer’s Orchestral Music
From his childhood experiences with Buddhist drums, Zhu Jianer developed a passion for Chinese membranophones. These prevail in ten orchestral works, including Day of Joy, Sketches in the Mountains of Guizhou, A Wonder of Naxi, Ecstasy of Nature, Lantern Festival, and five symphonies. Idiophones—including various types of gongs, cymbals, and chimes—play a significant role in nine orchestral works, with Zhu’s skillful combinations of Chinese and Western membranophones and idiophones being an essential part of his orchestral textures. In spite of his lack of formal musical background early in life, Zhu did learn to play the yueqin, and felt confident in incorporating Chinese aerophones (dizi, guan) and chordophones (yangqin, sanxian, banhu) into one early orchestral work, Day of Emancipation (1953). With his mature symphonic works (1982-1999), Zhu’s artistic maturity was enhanced by his ethnomusicological field trips to the autonomous region of Tibet (1986) and to diverse Chinese minority regions.
Through his observations of ethnic instrumentalists he was able to transfer concepts from Chinese to Western orchestral instruments, to incorporate Chinese chordophones and aerophones into orchestral settings using edited field recordings, to develop extended techniques for Chinese instruments, to accept the challenge of effectively mixing Chinese with Western instruments, and
to compose two outstanding works for a Chinese soloist with Western orchestra despite cultural differences (the suona in Ecstasy of Nature, and the dizi in Symphony no. 4). Chinese musical instruments, for Zhu, played a significant role in his overall artistic goal of achieving harmony between heaven, earth, and humankind.
12:00pm-1:00pm
LUNCH BREAK
PANEL 2: SOUTHEAST ASIA
(1:00pm-2:30pm)
FAB 220
Panel Chair: Jeffrey Roberts
1:00pm
Eunmi Ko
Project Muted: New Works by Asian Female Composers for Prepared Piano
In this paper I delve into my identity as an Asian female pianist and question exoticism and prejudice around the Asian female musician through extended technique piano pieces I commissioned from three Asian female composers. Living in the US since 2004, American society has not changed in the way it sees me: a stereotype of an Asian woman - subdued and demure, 'muted.' A 'muted' person lacks vivid colors. Someone 'muted', can not be heard. Piano is often compared with an orchestra: virtuosity, brilliance, rich vibrant color and imposing masses of sound. However, muting piano strings turns it into a different animal: subtle, percussive, transformative. The traditional sound identity of piano disappears and a new and broadly expressive sound world of infinite subtle timbral hue and texture emerges. These are intimate sounds that are soft but with colorful depth and richness, just like my own voice.
1:30pm
Kevin Wilson
Confluence of Culture: an intercultural analysis of Budhi Ngurah’s Borobudur
This paper investigates the craft of intercultural composition, focusing on Budhi Ngurah's "Borobudur," which juxtaposes a Western orchestra with a Javanese gamelan. This piece exemplifies the challenges and successes of intercultural composition while reflecting on the increasing globalization of music and how composers may approach Indonesian and Western musical languages. Ngurah navigates these challenges by: Translating cultural concepts: Mapping architectural and philosophical concepts from the Borobudur temple onto musical form, such as the upward spiritual journey mirrored in register shifts and the cyclical nature of life represented through rhythmic patterns. Integrating musical languages: Employing techniques from both Western and Javanese music, such as layering, cyclical structures, and dynamic shifts, while fostering an organic interplay between the orchestra and gamelan, where each ensemble influences the other. Creating a symbiotic relationship: The work culminates in a unified "oneness" with both ensembles playing a single pitch, signifying the attainment of Nirvana, demonstrating a successful integration of diverse musical languages and cultural identities. By analyzing Budhi Ngurah's "Borobudur," the paper investigates how composers navigate cultural and musical identities to create compelling hybrid works. The paper will propose an apply an analytical framework that considers not only musical elements but also the cultural, personal, and biographical contexts that inform the composer's artistic vision, ultimately seeking to understand how composers express their unique cultural identity within the broader context of intercultural music. Through the proposed analytical model, we can begin to understand the complexities and dynamics of intercultural musical creation.
2:00pm
Edy Panjaitan
Piano Music of Ananda Sukarlan
Ananda Sukarlan became the first Indonesian performer-composer to be listed in the publication "The 2000 Outstanding Musicians of the 20th Century", appearing in this biography as someone who has had a significant influence on music education. He is recognized as a well-known pianist and composer, both in Indonesia and internationally. Among the most important works written for the pianoforte are his set of Rapsodia Nusantara. Sukarlan’s compositional style could best be defined as being at once virtuosic and brilliant, and this is especially evident in Rapsodia Nusantara for the piano. The researcher will present his own interpretation of Rapsodia Nusantara no 4 by Ananda Sukarlan, set against the history of its conception. The composer’s approach to composition unashamedly takes influence from traditional Indonesian musical styles, and this influences his musical identity, to a lesser or greater extent. Sukarlan adapts elements of Indonesian music and fuses them with their Western classical counterparts. In the case of the Rapsodia Nusantara No. 4, Sukarlan also tries to remain original and authentic to his own compositional style, creating a unique musical aesthetic. This present thesis aims to provide a better understanding of the rich Indonesian classical music repertoire, whilst simultaneously making specific reference to Sukarlan’s musical ideas in his fourth Rapsodia Nusantara. The thesis will closely follow Sukarlan’s compositional process and proposes to place this journey within my own personal interpretive framework as pianist. It is hoped, therefore, that exploring Sukarlan’s music in this way, the author will be able to provide a comprehensive interpretation of this very valuable work, and that it can be of some use for pianists, composers, and educators alike.
2:30pm-7:30pm
DINNER BREAK
7:30pm
Concert 1: Sonic Intercultural Evolutions
Horowitiz Theatre
Friday, April 4
8:30am
Keynote: Dr. Mingyeong Son, Seoul National University
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
From Intercultural to Intermusical Aesthetics: Borderless Flow in Contemporary Korean Music
Christian Utz (2010) foresaw Asia's growing role in the future of classical music and emphasized intercultural value of East Asian art music. While rejecting cultural essentialism, he advocates the ontology of a "hybrid, fluid, and transformative constitution of all contemporary cultures in the global age." Building on this, I propose the concept of intermusicality, which emphasizes individual musicians' interactions, transcending rigid cultural boundaries. Through case studies of Unsuk Chin, Jin Hi Kim, and DoYeon Kim, I explore how their works dismantle stereotypes about traditional instruments and expand the boundaries of Koreanness incontemporary music. From Chin's collaboration with Wu Wei on Sheng Concerto (2009) to DoYeon's Existence (2023), these artists challenge the East-West dichotomy, deconstruct tradition, and create transcultural identities. Their innovative approaches highlight the aesthetic potential of intermusicality, offering a dynamic negotiation between cultures and expanding the contemporary music canon.
PANEL 3: Korea
(9:30am-11:30pm)
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
Panel Chair: Mingyeong Son
9:30am
Ian Chung
Composing Democracy: Political Music of Isang Yun and the Construction of Collective Identity
This paper examines how Isang Yun utilized his music as a form of public defiance against authoritarian repression, solidifying his role as a cultural symbol of resistance. Yun’s compositions and international reputation amplified South Korea’s democratic movement, demonstrating the transformative power of art in advocating for human rights and political freedom. The paper begins with an overview of South Korea’s democratic movement, focusing on the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and self-immolation as a form of political protest. Then, it transitions to an examination of how these social contexts influenced Yun to compose, Exemplum in memoriam Kwangju (1981) and Engel in Flammen mit Epilog (1994) reflecting South Korea’s struggle for democracy. Finally, using Alberto Melucci’s model of collective identity—developed from studies on 1980s social movements—the analysis examines three key aspects: (1) the use of music as a medium of resistance, (2) the fostering of active relationships among participants, and (3) the construction of a shared identity through mutual recognition. The paper concludes with how Yun’s music actively builds a collective identity and advances commitment to the goals of democratization in South Korea.
10:00am
Seungchan Song
Extended Technique as an intercultural medium in Yun’s Glisseés
This lecture-performance explores the extended techniques used in Yun’s Glisseés for solo cello to examine the basic root of Asian hegemony in Western culture. The study examines how Korean-German composer Isang Yun (1917-1995) had evoked specific national or ethnic culture without heavily relying on conventional aspects of music such as pitch and rhythm. The lecture focuses on what extended techniques and musical concepts Yun necessitated in order to evoke Korean musical instruments and their practices through a solo Western instrument. Yun’s Glissées is an academic attempt to incorporate Korean musical practices and traditional instruments through Western idioms. His deep interest in twelve-tone serialism in Glissées is fused with evocation of Korean traditional instruments through col legno tratto, one-finger glissando, and plectrum-using pizzicato, as well as his unique Hauptton theory where Yun explores different sonic variations based on a set note. The successful result of the study will demonstrate listeners feeling a specific regional evocation through extended techniques presented in the piece and forming ideas that are specific and personal to individuals
10:30am
Madlen Poguntke
Female Composers in the Shift of Societal Reflections: A Comparative Study of Germany and South Korea
„There are no woman composers, never have been and possibly never will be.“ (Thomas Beecham) This quote not only highlights the still-existing gender gap but also the necessity for more awareness regarding the role of women in music history. In South Korea, a country heavily influenced by Western musical traditions, the question arises whether the social parameters of its musical landscape have also been impacted. In this context, a comparison will be drawn between Germany, which has a rich tradition of female composers in the West, and South Korea, which represents the East with its remarkable history and adaptability.Although female composers from South Korea have not yet gained much international recognition, a clear increase in women in composition can be observed. In contrast, Germany’s statistics surprisingly seem less promising. What has facilitated this change in South Korea? What social and cultural factors play a role, and how does South Korea compare to Germany? I will consider both historical and current developments, particularly examining the growing number of female composers in both countries. A major part of my work will be comparing statistics to highlight shifts in gender distribution and an analysis of selected works from South Korea and Germany that demonstrate the influence of the West on South Korean music. Through these compositional examples, I will place the works in the context of their societal frameworks and highlight the fusion and transculturality that characterize both South Korea and Germany.
11:00am
Gamin Kang
Unveiling Lou Harrison’s Korean Inspirations: Musical Exploration of Piri, Court Music, and Cross-Cultural Creation
American composer Lou Harrison's groundbreaking work with Korean traditional music profoundly influenced my journey as a musician. I first encountered his composition Moogunkwha Se Tang Ak (1961), a piece for a Korean traditional orchestra that remains a staple in Korea. However, it wasn't until 2015, when I performed Harrison's Pacifika Londo with the Santa Cruz Symphony under conductor Daniel Stewart, that I fully grasped his deep understanding of Korean piri and royal court music. The piri's intricate techniques and their integration into Harrison's orchestral writing showcased his remarkable sensitivity to Korean musical traditions.
This experience inspired me to bridge traditional Korean music with contemporary Western compositions in my international collaborations. Moving to California in December 2022 brought me closer to Harrison's legacy, culminating in a residency at the Harrison House in December 2024. Supported by Eva Soltes, who has preserved Harrison's work, I delved into his handwritten Korean music manuscripts, including unpublished piri sketches. These materials offered invaluable insights into Harrison's creative process and his exchanges with the late Dr. Hye-Gu Lee, a prominent Korean music scholar.
In this presentation, I will play Harrison's one of unpublished sketches and discuss his profound engagement with Korean music. By sharing his studies and creative exploration, I aim to illuminate Harrison's enduring legacy and exceptional ability to blend diverse musical traditions with respect and innovation.
11:30am-12:30pm
LUNCH BREAK
12:30-2:00pm
Keynote: Guoping Jia, Beijing Central Conservatory of Music
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
On My Music and The Current State of Music in China
Pre-reading for Jia Guoping's Keynote Speech
EN: Historical Awareness and Self-Transcendence Under the Influence of Tradition — An Interview with Composer Jia Guoping
CH: 李淑琴：贾国平访谈（《爱乐》）定稿
PANEL 4: China, Taiwan, Japan & Persia
2:00pm-4:30pm
abstract TBA
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
Panel Chair: Jeffrey Roberts
2:00pm
Jeffrey Roberts
Cultural Sonic Icons: Cultural Meanings of Sound in Intercultural Composition
abstract
2:30pm
Michael Frishkopf
Synergies of the Nay and the Shakuhachi: a duet through nature, culture, sound, ritual, and mysticism
I outline the the multiple connections -- material, cultural, organological, timbral, ritual, and mystical - and potential musical synergies, between two simple flutes, both involved in the quest for enlightenment through breath: the Turkish nay and the Japanese shakuhachi. Through distinctive rituals, each expresses and catalyzes spiritual enlightenment, fana; in tasawwuf (mystical Islam), and satori in Japanese Zen. The two flutes are similar, constructed from grasses and rim-blown, each classified as 421.111.12 in the Hornbostel-Sachs system. Through Suizen and Sama; (Mevlevi) rituals, I trace this sonic link between the furthest corners of Asia, East and West, underscoring similarities as well as contrasts in sound, practice, and meaning. While sonic convergences are unusual, I analyze two duets by master musicians Kyle Kamal Helou (Shakuhachi), and Bashir Saade (nay): "Daha", and "Tamuke" in two Beirut performances entitled "East meets East".
3:00pm
Anton Vishio
Variations in Intercultural Perspective
In this paper I propose to explore variations by two Asian composers; in different ways, the works suggest radically new perspectives on a traditional form, and demand novel analytical approaches in response. The second movement of Tsung-hsien Yang’s Two Essays for String Orchestra (1998), Musica Notturna Dallapiccola, begins with a characteristic quotational gesture: the seventh movement of the Italian composer’s Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera is offered as the basis for a set of variations. This gesture already imbricates Yang’s work within the variation technique of the Quaderno itself in suggestive ways. But the focus is not on Dallapiccola’s serial technique but on what Yang describes as his “personal religious transcendences”. This encourages an entirely different analytical strategy; instead of pursuing formalist analysis, I follow Yang’s own lead in developing a narrative of “contemplation against the backdrop of nighttime.” Jo Kondo’s recent book, Homo audiens, develops a philosophy of the creative act of listening that draws almost entirely on western musicological and philosophical sources. Yet his music when put in dialogue with those sources proceeds at a different angle, focusing on points of potential ambiguity. Repetition, for example, is a key principle of western formal thought; Kondo explores a liminal state, what he terms pseudo-repetition, a kind of not-yet-becoming, which I will demonstrate through an analysis of his Variations (Triskelion) from 2015. The triskelion motif is itself a structure whose rotational symmetry suggests both movement and equilibrium; Kondo’s music, with its “dynamic stasis”, similarly suggests a form that is directed inwards, constantly changing but remaining somehow fixed in place.
3:30pm
Mehdi Rezania
Bicultural Composition: Iranian Santur in Diaspora
The santur has emerged as a prominent Iranian instrument over the last forty years, largely due to the influential contributions of three notable performer/composers: Faramarz Payvar (1933-2009), Parviz Meshkatian (1955-2009), and Ardavan Kamkar (b. 1968). They not only pioneered innovative styles in composition and performance, but also solidified the repertoire of Persian music for this instrument and today are considered the most influential santur players of the past century. Kamkar presented an innovative approach that incorporated various western compositional techniques, such as counterpoint and harmony, with traditional classical styles. He additionally composed and played in variety of unorthodox tuning, and incorporating folk melodies of various regions of Iran, creating a vibrant, virtuosic and complex style. I studied the advanced level of santur playing under Kamkar and growing up in Toronto and studying Western classical music, focusing on composition, produced a number of works which I call “Iranian Santur Playing in Diaspora.” This style is mainly rooted in the Persian classical repertoire but additionally it incorporates elements from other cultures such as modulations and tuning system of Western classical music, and melodic movements of Arabic classical music. In this presentation I explain how the Persian classical repertoire has been integrated with Western music in the composition “Rahāyi” (‘Freedom’) and with Arabic classical music in the composition “Sarkhosh” (‘Ecstatic’). These two compositions are part of a program titled Salute to Sun, which comprises a suite for solo santur consisting of ten distinct pieces.
4:00pm
Afarin Nazari
Compositions for qanun
abstract TBA
4:30pm-7:30pm
DINNER BREAK
7:30pm
Concert 2: Intercultural Experimental
Studio 27, Fine Arts Building
Saturday, April 5
PANEL 5: Turkey, Syria & Central Asia
(9:00am-11:30am)
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
Panel Chair: Jeffrey Roberts
9:00am
Nagme Yarkin
New Polyphonic Compositions Containing Elements of Ottoman / Turkish Music
This presentation will provide a summary of the author's doctoral thesis, which includes Concerto Grosso Alla Turca, an original piece composed for a traditional Baroque orchestra and traditional Ottoman / Turkish music instruments. The piece was created following extensive research and analysis of the common elements of traditional Baroque music and Ottoman / Turkish music, in line with the findings obtained. In addition, the presentation will address the artist's album KÜNH, which features new polyphonic compositions arranged by her for solo kemence of Istanbul and released in 2023. The discussion will conclude with an exploration of the expressive capacity of traditional music from deep-rooted cultures, such as the Baroque period and Ottoman / Turkish music, which possess a rich and distinctive form of expression. Indeed, traditional music from deep-rooted cultures is sufficient in its own forms of expression. However, it can be argued that the advent of polyphonic new music experiments, particularly in the last quarter century, has served as a reflection of the evolving understanding of culture, which, as evidenced by historical records, was once delineated by clearer boundaries. The contemporary interweaving of these cultures stands as a testament to the present day. The combination of different colours and different sounds serves to remind us that we have a nature with a polyphonic and multi-coloured understanding, and that we are in such a world. Just as the prospect of harmonious coexistence among diverse cultures is predicated on the foundations of mutual respect and understanding, the unification of disparate musical traditions through the medium of harmony necessitates a profound respect for the principles and conventions that underpin these musical expressions.
9:30am
Baturay Yarkin
A study on Fusion Albums containing Jazz Music and Turkish Music
This presentation will be a summary of my doctoral thesis, in which the data obtained by examining the first works in which jazz music and Turkish music were performed together are depicted in an original work written for a big band jazz group and Turkish music instruments. At the same time, 4 tracks from our album Colors of Anatolia, where piano trio and Turkish music instruments meet, will be listened to at the end of the presentation. In my thesis, in which I examined the works between 1970 and 1980, transcriptions obtained from fifteen albums published by 5 jazz musicians who produced in the field of jazz fusion were analyzed. The makams1 were compared with harmonic approaches; and the usuls2 were compared with the styles used by jazz musicians. The analysis of the results showed that the melodies in the works containing these instruments were always performed with Turkish music instruments, that these instruments preserved the structures of the usuls regardless of the styles of the works, and that the characteristics of the makams used in the works determined the harmonic structure. Selected bars from my composition "Big Band A La Turk", which includes all the findings regarding the musical and structural elements in the albums, will be shared in the presentation.
10:00am
Basel Rajoub
“Tashkent”
“Tashkent” was inspired by Basel Rajoub’s first visit to that city, a sprawling metropolis that is the cultural and commercial center of Central Asia. There, Rajoub found “sunshine, peace, and the smell of home.” Said Rajoub, “Tashkent. I walked your streets and found this sound. I salute you.” “Tashkent” has been performed in many different instrumental arrangements, often in the context of workshops and masterclasses in which young musicians perform alongside AKMM, Aga Khan Master Musicians.The piece offered an opportunity to revitalize the historical legacy of cultural contact between the regions from which the performing artists come from by merging our respective musical languages into a body of new work. These languages, however,aren’t limited to traditional musical styles and genres. How could they be, when the members of AKMM are cosmopolitans whose own life journeys have been shaped by displacement, migration, and participation in a multitude of international arts projects that have exposed them to a panoply of musical influences from around the globe. In this piece, memories, nostalgia joy and hope entertwine with fresh inspiration produced by encounters with new places and people.
10:30am
Kanykei Mukhtarov
The New Music of Central Asia: Collective composition as a means of expression for musicians in the region
In March of 2017, fifteen musicians from five countries gathered to create a 50-minute composition, a synthesis of traditional music of Central Asia, jazz, and contemporary music. During this time, musicians worked collaboratively through discussion and musical improvisation to develop initial ideas of creating a composition, which could reflect the cultural heritages representative of this group. All musicians contributed to the composition, by being a performer and a composer at the same time. This collaborative work was presented in April at the 12th international Bishkek Jazz Festival, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The main idea of the collective composition method is to compose music together by sharing ideas, testing them in the group, intensively listening to the others and contributing to a unique, common sound. The role of the lab musicians might appear similar to that in a jazz band, where they could freely improvise in their solos, but there were some new elements not seen in jazz: adapting the sound of European instruments to traditional instruments, keeping in mind a complex structure and rhythm, both jazz and Central Asian. The aim of this paper is to examine the collective compositions of Central Asian musicians created during the Ethnojazz Laboratory. Additionally, I will analyze how the creative process allows them to bridge differences and enhance national identities. This research is based on my own original ethnographic research organizing the Bishkek Jazz Festival from 2006 to 2018 and Ethnojazz Laboratory from 2014 to 2017.
11:00am
Boyoung Chang
Sounds of Haunted Past: Kim Young Eun's Multimedia Art
This presentation explores South Korean artist Kim Young Euns multimedia art, which takes sound as a core component of artistic practice. Kim's work, which involves various media including sound installation, video, and performance, reconstructs events and traces the history of sound from the early 20th century to present-day Korea, encompassing the influx of Western culture, Japanese colonialism, national division, the Cold War, and military dictatorship. By analyzing the relationship between sounds and spaces, sounds and the social system, as well as the visibility and invisibility of and the materiality and immateriality of sounds that Kim's work explores, this study offers another frame to understand modern and contemporary Korea.
11:30-12:30
LUNCH BREAK
PANEL 6: Intercultural Improvisation & Film Music
(12:30pm-3:00pm)
China Institute, 203 Telus Centre
Panel Chair: TBA
12:30pm
Chelsea McBride
Kogun, Toshiko Akiyoshi
Toshiko Akiyoshi is an underrated pioneer of Asian-American women in the world of jazz and big band music. She was one of the first Japanese women to come and study music in the US, blazing a trail for many women to follow in later years. She reinvented the sound of the big band both with her unique approach to jazz composition, as well as for her incorporation of traditional Japanese instruments. And yet, she remains lesser-known than her male contemporaries of the same time. This presentation focuses on Akiyoshi's work "Kogun" for traditional Japanese instruments and big band, and is an excerpt of a larger overview of Akiyoshi's music, as well as the impact she's had on jazz music in the United States and internationally.
1:00pm
Shirley Mak
Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop in Hangzhou, China
In 2015, the Global Musician Workshop (GMW) was founded through Silkroad, an organization started by Yo-Yo Ma with the intent to foster positive social change through cross-cultural musical collaborations. While the Silkroad Ensemble, a collective of professional musicians, has been the primary driving force of the organization's mission, GMW expanded upon this by facilitating cross-cultural experiences for a broader demographic of musicians. Participants with varying musical and cultural backgrounds collaborate in bands led by a diverse faculty of musicians for a week. Though the workshops have mostly taken place in the U.S., through the efforts of Wu Man, famed pipa player and a long-term member of the Silkroad Ensemble and GMW faculty, the first overseas GMW was hosted in partnership with Zhejiang Conservatory, Hangzhou, in August of 2024. Drawing on observations and interviews with participants and faculty, I compare the cross-cultural dimensions of the most recent Boston and Hangzhou workshops. While both featured similar program structures and faculty, their respective national and cultural contexts resulted in different cross-cultural experiences. If GMW participants learn from diverse musical traditions while stepping outside of their comfort zones, how do the national and cultural contexts influence the meanings of diversity and comfort? How might cross-cultural practices be perceived and valued in each workshop? In considering the concepts and practices of cross-cultural musical collaborations within these contexts, I contribute to conversations on how music creates cross-border connections, thereby shaping conceptions of self and others in a globalizing world.
1:30pm
Krystal Zhang
Chinese Film Music in the 1980s: Zhao Jiping, Yellow Earth (1984), and the Beginnings of Early Global-Local Interactions
This research presentation examines early global-local encounters of the 1980s Chinese film-music industry with global Hollywood, focusing on Zhao Jiping (b. 1945) and his debut film score for Chen Kaige’s Yellow Earth. “Hollywood” here refers to an influential industrial model of producing cinematic products within the realm of music, established in the United States (Aynne Kokas, 2017). Following the 1978 Economic Reform, the Chinese film-music industry has experienced increasing "glo-cal" interactions since this dynamic post-socialist phase, characterized by complex interrelationships between politics, economics, and the arts, all navigating their integration with the market (Yingjin Zhang, 2006). This analysis addresses two perspectives: (1) the transformation of the Chinese film-music industry in the 1980s, especially concerning state policies and the developing film market; (2) Zhao’s audiovisual portrayal of traditional Shaanxi instruments, folk songs, and opera, which reflected both his deep cultural roots and a departure from Hollywood’s preference of soundtracks and theme songs. From the 1980s onward, Chinese audiences showed growing interest in international films, particularly classic Hollywood productions (Yu Li, 2006). At the beginning of "glo-calization," Zhao Jiping and Chen Kaige emerged as representatives amongst Chinese directors and composers, crafting operational strategies in both the global-local film-music industries (Chu Yiu-Wai, 2008). The term glo-calization refers to a bidirectional process of mutual relativization between the global and the local (Roland Robertson, 2024). This presentation will include a comparative analysis of both Hollywood and Chinese film music with an eye toward the global-local, or glo-cal interaction, frame from a Chinese perspective.
2:00pm
Deepak Paramashivan
The Use of Western Music in the Indian Cinema
Music has always been an essential element of Indian cinema playing the role of an emotional alchemist that embellishes the story-telling by creating well-defined imagery and emotional tapestries. It makes the experience of watching the movie by conveying different human emotions such as love, sadness, joy, celebration etc. to suit the mood of the context in the story. During the silent film era, live musicians would perform music in the cinema hall. With the advent of Talkie films starting in 1928, use of musical accompaniment and background scoring (usually referred to as the re-recording or RR in the Indian cinema parlance) in the cinema, composers began to adopt different musical genres to communicate with the viewers and transport them to different frontiers. Among all the genres of music, Western music has always been an indispensable part of Indian cinema. The earliest influence of Western music can be traced back to the Indian drama music which was influenced by the visiting Opera troupes and Western music orchestras that had settled in Kolkata. In the current article, I will study the different artistic traditions of film making in India and how Western music was adopted by different composers starting from the early 1940s till 2024. I will be discussing the aesthetic tastes and approaches to music of composers such as O. P. Nayyar, Ilaiyaraja, A. R. Rehman and others. Here I use the term Western music as that music practiced in the Western part of the world including Europe, UK, and America and not in the sense of the distinctive 'Western music genre' of the American Western films.
2:30pm
Tung Nguyen
Louise Thai Thi Lang’s Fetes Du Tet: A Musical Representation of Vietnamese culture.
Vietnamese classical music remains largely unfamiliar outside Vietnam compared to other East Asian countries like Japan, Korea, and China. Louise Nguyễn Văn Tỵ, née Louise Thái Thị Lang (1915 – 2007), was the first Vietnamese composer and pianist to achieve international status. Louise graduated from the Paris Conservatoire in the 1930s and wrote almost exclusively for the piano, merging Western composition techniques with traditional Vietnamese musical materials. Her works were published in Paris, and she actively performed worldwide in the 1950s and 1960s. Despite her efforts, Louise Thái Thị Lang is virtually unknown to both Vietnamese and international audiences nowadays, and information about her in Vietnamese musical textbooks and scholarship is minimal. My lecture-recital will focus on Louise Thái Thị Lang’s most significant piece - Fêtes du Têt for solo piano – in terms of analytical, ethnomusicological, and anthropological study. The goal of the lecture-recital is to offer a better picture of the composer’s biography, to prove the importance of her works in the Vietnamese classical music scene, and to realize the composer’s effort as a cultural ambassador representing Vietnam through her music. I hypothesize that the absence of her works post-1950s was a direct consequence of the Vietnam War (1954-1975) and partly because of the misinterpretation from Western critics and audiences about Vietnamese culture. I anticipate my research will inspire additional studies on Vietnamese music, specifically on this composer. This could facilitate the revival of Louise Thái Thị Lang’s remaining piano works and enhance the global presence of Vietnamese piano music.
FAB 2-020
3:00-3:30pm
BREAK
3:30-5:00pm
Roundtable Discussion: Intercultural Composition
End of Conference