Ten Thousand Blooms, Falling Petals

for Traditional Korean Orchestra(2016),  ca. 12’
for Traditional Korean Ensemble (2017), ca. 12’

Ten Thousand Blooms, Falling Petals is written for a group of Korean traditional solo instruments and Korean orchestra. Throughout the piece, the interplay between soloists and the orchestra create intimate relationships between the instruments and a variety of textures.

In this three movement work, I hope to create a musical space that integrates Western compositional processes of layering and counterpoint with Asian materials and gestures. For this reason, while the first two movements are strictly notated, the third movement incorporates a semi-improvisational style to allow freer and more idiomatic expression with traditional instruments. 

Although the title of this piece suggests imagery, it serves as a point of departure for a more abstract study in continuity.  While all movements have distinct characters, the materials are interconnected. This piece was commissioned by the National Gugak Orchestra for the Pacific Rim Music Festival and received three premiere performances in UCSC, UCB and Seoul, Korea in 2017.