MUSIC
結び Musubi for Septet
"In Japanese culture, Musubi (結び) embodies the art of tying and knotting—threads, belts, and lives entwined. Yet beyond its physical craft, Musubi pulses at the heart of Shinto belief, a sacred force of creation, the ever-branching energy that binds the universe. Like a cosmic thread, it weaves a tapestry of infinite intricacy, stretching outward in all directions, yet always rooted in a singular source. Thus, what we see as separate, distinct, and divided are but fleeting illusions—fragile boundaries drawn in the sand. Over time, they dissolve, and they reveal: all paths converge, all threads return, to One."
Composed 2024, Premiered 19 March 2025 @ YST Conservatory of Music Concert Hall, Singapore.
Live premiere recording by Ensemble SPECTRA.
Pieter Jansen (vln.), Bram Bossier (vla.), Francis Mourey (vc.), Tille Van Gastel (fl.), Julien Bénéteau (cl.), Lukas Huisman (pno.), Frank Van Eycken (perc.)
Conducted by Filip Rathé
Li
oMGgggG h0W dAR3 yo0ouUwUu!!!!!1! for 2 Keyboardists
"This piece is largely created out of two things – the audio sample of Greta Thunberg exclaiming 'How dare you!' in her famous speech at the United Nations Climate Change Summit, as well as the audio sample of the hysterical laughter of my composition senior. As part of my studies dealing with processing sounds through effects and plugins, I tried to resample these samples multiple times, running through different processes and ended up with a completely unexpected result.
The composition that resulted was of a similar nature: somewhat unpredictable and overwhelming with energy, that was created out of a maximalist approach of dealing with material. This piece attempts to find a delicate balance between having the audience listening through a perceptual bombardment of maximal materials––albeit the timbral characteristics and the energy of the piece bounds all contrasting materials together––and avoiding the audience from totally turning off from the auditory experience."
Composed 2023, Premiered 4 September 2023 @ YST Conservatory of Music Steven Baxter Recital Studio, Singapore.
Live premiere by bl-duo.
Bertram Wee & Lynette Yeo, keyboard
Li
Three Miniatures for Clarinet in B♭ & Cello
"These three short pieces for clarinet and cello each focuses on a distinct idea; the first deals mainly with a blob of sound that evolves and gradually lengthens over each musical event. It is written as an attempt to primarily study dyad multiphonics on the clarinet, as well as multiphonics on the cello. Using both of these lesser-known techniques, it produces a transparent, fragile sound world.
The second miniature deals with the idea of variations and varied repetitions, initially starting out with a model of interlocking attacks, then occasionally switching to musical events with sparse attacks and abundant attacks. It then moves on into a section with repetition which is first varied by splicing and then via small changes with each repetition.
The third plays around with the idea of subtle variations in oscillations in both vertical and horizontal dimensions. It explores harmonic trills on different fundamentals on the clarinet, and attempts to blend timbrally with the cello’s harmonics."
Composed 2023, Premiered 13 March 2023 @ YST Conservatory of Music Orchestra Hall, Singapore.
Live premiere by Nina Janßen-Deinzer (cl.) and Martin Jaggi (vc.)
Li
List of Works
2025
(composition yet to be titled) for 2 Keyboardists & Video [Work in Progress]
Peace Be Upon You for String Ensemble, Percussion & Choir [Work in Progress]
Collaborative composition with Tai Yun Ming, Ong Ping Din & Raf Marcellino
_ants for Clarinet in B♭ Solo [Work in Progress]
For Michelle Hromin
AIDS for 2-Channel Fixed Media
Duet for Trumpet in B♭ and Viola
For CK Loi and Xiao Lei
3 Art Songs on Malaysian Poems for 2 Voices & Piano
Commissioned Work for Chin Yong Music Festival 2025
2024
Clicks for 2-Channel Electronics Fixed Media
結び Musubi for Septet & Conductor
For Ensemble Spectra
limbo for Alto Saxophone, 2 Tenor Saxophones & Baritone Saxophone
Written for ACL Festival 2025 in Kawasaki, Japan
moving still for Trombone Octet
Shadows/Rust for Large Ensemble
Jet Whistle for Flute & Live Electronics (Fixed Media & Live Processing on Max/MSP)
For Carolin Ralser
2023
/mute for Piano & Percussionist
For Sebastian Voltz and Max Riefer from Les Éclats du Son
(composition yet to be titled) for Harp, Guzheng & 6-Channel Electronics
Co-composed with Joan Tan, written for Vanessa Jazzy (hrp.) & Chan Xin Tong (gz.) as part of paper presentation "Negotiating Artistic Identities as a Young Artist in a Cosmopolitan Society" at the YST Conservatory Performers' Present International Artistic Research Symposium 2023
to nowhere. for Wind Quintet
For Pan Pacific Woodwind Quintet, written for SoundBridge Festival 2023
oMGgggG h0W dAR3 yo0ouUwUu!!!!!1! for 2 Keyboardists/2-Channel Playback
For Bertram Wee & Lynette Yeo from bl duo
Three Miniatures for Clarinet in B♭ and Violoncello
For Nina Janßen-Deinzer and Martin Jaggi
2022
Lens for Bassoon Solo
For Christoph Wichert
Alternate for Xiao/Dizi, Pipa, Erhu, Violin, Viola & Violoncello
Normal for Solo Percussionist on 5 Chinese Tamtams (rev. 2022)
Written for Virtual Manila Composers' Lab 2020 for Max Riefer & revised for Working Together with Max Riefer & Lubeck New Music Ensemble Concert @ Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre 2022.
無人 Mujin for Oboe, Percussionist & String Quintet
Written for Jalur Kita Cerita Kita collaboration project with YST Chamber Ensemble & Ensemble Virama, inspiration drawn from Teochew Puppet Opera.
Huminodun: Trio on a Kadazandusun Tale for Clarinet, Euphonium & Bass Trombone
Written for The Rondo Production's inaugural Musical Exchange Programme 2021-22.
2021
生きて…? for Alto Saxophone & Piano
Written for Malaysian Young Composers' Workshop 2021 for Scarlet Gouk & Poom Prommachart and premiered as part of SoundBridge Contemporary Music Festival 2021.
Current for Erhu, Sheng, Yangqin, Guzheng & Zhongruan
For N10 Chamber Ensemble, written for SoundBridge Contemporary Music Festival 2021.
Concertino for 12-hole Chromatic Harmonica in C & Chamber Orchestra
1st Prize-Winning Piece for Chromatic Harmonica & Orchestra Category of the International Composition Competition for Chromatic Harmonica 2021 (Hong Kong)
corru[P]tion for Piano & 2-Channel Fixed Media
A Song of Regret for Baritone & Piano
For Nazrin Alymann
2020
Trio for Violin, Violoncello & Piano
Dreaming for Piano Solo
Turning Point for Trumpet in B♭, Horn in F and Euphonium
2nd Prize-Winning Piece for Trio Category of The Diversity Initiative 2020 Call for Scores (Texas, USA)
Fading Twilight for 12-hole Chromatic Harmonica in C and Piano
For Ng Yoki
2019
Recollection for Piano Solo
Jiwa Malaysia for SATB Acappella
Featured Piece for Choral Category in the 3rd Malaysian Patriotic Music Composition Competition by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) and Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)