ver 1 - soprano, oboe, cello, percussion / 10 minutes
ver 2 - soprano, clarinet, cello, percussion / 10 minutes
Composed for the UBC ACTOR Project
Premiered by Shayanne de Boer (soprano), Tiana Ropchan (oboe), Aireleen Zhu (cello), Yueyi Liu (percussion)
Selected for Vancouver Pro Musica's Sonic Boom Festival 2026
Finalist of the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards 2026
Program Note
a æ u ɔ ɪ was composed for the ACTOR (Analysis, Creation, Teaching of Orchestration) project. This piece explores the timbral possibilities of the voice by deconstructing the text into its individual syllables. The other instruments either support the voice or mimic the syllables using contemporary techniques. The text is taken from Philippians 4:13 in the Bible. The piece begins with pure vowel sounds, gradually introducing consonants. Over time, these fragmented elements shift through a spectrum of textures and colors, eventually coalescing into the full, revealed phrase.
Paolo Bortolussi, conductor
Shayanne de Boer, soprano
Tiana Ropchan, oboe
Aireleen Zhu, cello
Yueyi Liu, percussion
Roy Barnett Recital Hall
University of British Columbia
April 18, 2025
Maria Bamford, soprano
Carlos Savall Guardiola, clarinet
Ashton Lim, cello
Niki Hung, percussion
Vancouver Pro Musica Sonic Boom Festival Fire Arts Centre, Vancouver
