I composed and recorded this three-track guzheng piece yesterday. The lower strings were half muted by a bandana. That is why the sustain of the strings is no longer there. I also didn’t wear finger picks, so I plucked the guzheng in the way harpists play., which adds a more muted sound effect. Hope you enjoy it!
I have some work news: I have started orchestrating a symphony composition of mine: Hello Gold Mountain, a chamber orchestral work that premiered in 2018. The piece is inspired by stories of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai from Europe during World War II. From 1933 until the end of the war, Shanghai was often the only port at which Jewish refugees fleeing Europe could disembark without a visa. In the early 1940s, more than 20,000 Jews lived in Shanghai and contributed to its cultural and civic life.
I composed this work for chamber orchestra, premiered by chatterbird ensemble, featuring myself on guzheng/voice and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on oud — the traditional Chinese and Jewish plucked string instruments respectively.
For the next month or so, I will be orchestrating the ensemble score of Hello Gold Mountain to a full symphony. It will be premiered by Lehigh University Symphony Orchestra on February 11th, 2023 at Zoellner Arts Center in Pennsylvania.
There’s more about Hello Gold Mountain here, and a film trailer for it here.
I’ll keep you posted about the progress. And, if you don’t see me posting photos or writing that usually go along with the music in the newsletters in the coming month, please know that I’m deep in my work on the new piece. It is a 7-movement, hour-long work. It is like writing a long novel all in music notes. I’ll let you know when the double bar lines are sealed!
Wu Fei 吴非
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A tiny baby tortoise sun bathing on the hills of Bellevue, Tennessee.
