Music, for me, is primarily an emotional vehicle. Through it, I embrace meaning in the human experience. Yet, music can transcend individual and collective limitations, whether historical or cultural. Serving as a rite into unknown possibilities, it can guide us to places beyond our imagination. With this conviction, I create.
Mission
I am originally from Changzhou, a city in southeastern China with a rich history dating back to its founding in 547 BCE. Growing up, I was immersed in the Changzhou Dialect of Wu Chinese, a language unintelligible to Standard Mandarin and distinct from the language of the neighboring towns. My city is renowned for its well-documented cultural heritages, such as traditional Changzhou poetry recitation and the Buddhist chants of Tianning Temple. However, like many cultural traditions, both my native language and these local practices are at risk of extinction in the 21st century, facing challenges from the rapidly changing world.
The situation in my hometown mirrors countless others around the globe. I firmly believe that these cultural heritages, while under threat, still possess significant value for contemporary culture. Rather than allowing these traditions to be merely preserved in museums or academic studies, I advocate for their reimagining into new forms of art without losing their intrinsic essence. My mission is to create authentic and meaningful contemporary art that remains deeply connected to our roots, blending an intuitive and intellectual understanding of our past to forge a rich and meaningful future.
Short bio
My music has had the fortune to be performed by orchestras and ensembles such as the China Philharmonic Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, China National Centre for the Performing Arts Center Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the China National Opera House, American Composers Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, and Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, among others, as well as artists such as pianist Tamara Stefanovich and multi-instrumentalist Min Xiao-Fen. I have also received a Copland House Residency Award, three ASCAP Morton Gould Awards, and the Jacobs School of Music Dean's Prize, among others. In 2023, I made my debut as a feature film composer with the Chinese-language film Manifesto, produced by the Shanghai Film Group Corporation.
Education
2018-Present | Princeton University
Ph.D. candidate in music composition | Dmitri Tymoczko
M.F.A. in music composition
2016-2018 | The Juilliard School
M.M. in music composition | Christopher Rouse
2014, 2015 | Freie Universität Berlin
Course in music composition | Samuel Adler
2005-2016 | Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
B.M. in music composition | Claude Baker, P.Q. Phan, Sven-David Sandström, Aaron Travers
Electronic Music | Jeffrey Hass, John Gibson
B.M. in piano performance | Arnaldo Cohen, Shigeo Neriki
OPEN program in piano performance | Arnaldo Cohen
Young Pianist Program | Karen M. Taylor
Private Studies
2007-2012 | Composition | Don Freund
2005-2007 | Composition | Derek Johnson