Seattle Symphony Composition Prize

My composition scored for shakuhachi flute and symphony orchestra was the winning work of the Seattle Symphony 2013 Celebrate Asia! Composition Competition. The Competition seeks to promote and recognize emerging composers who are interested in Asian culture, music and traditions. Suizen, a symphonic evocation for shakuhachi flute and orchestra (2012) received the world premiere performance by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Stilian Kirov, and Hanz Araki on the shakuhachi flute. The premiere performance took place at the Seattle Symphony’s Benaroya Hall on Sunday, January 27, 2013.

Influenced by traditional Asian religious practices and music performance, this evocation for shakuhachi and orchestra is inspired by ‘suizen’ – a blowing meditation; suizen is known as a form of Zen meditative practice characterized by the ritual of playing the shakuhachi bamboo flute (a Japanese end-blown flute) as a means of achieving a state of self-realization. Suizen can be best described as a tone poem for orchestra – a sound image of the moments of inner reflection and musical experience. The instrumentation enhances this experience whereby the oscillations of harmonies, melodies, and rhythms resemble one’s breathing – the experienced suggested in the opening and closing sections of the work.

The award and performance of the work is generously underwritten by Yoshi and Naomi Minegishi. Read the event press release here.

Photo © Don Pham, the Seattle Symphony.