20th WASBE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS, GWANGJU – SOUTH KOREA
Performed by Philharmonic Wind Orchestra
Conducted by Dr. Leonard Tan
Recorded & Donated by Mark Custom
Purchase at http://www.markcustom.com/
[#279] November 25 2024
WASBE2024 | 2024 | Wind Ensemble | Grade 5 | 5' - 10' | Contemporary
Betwixt and between, by Singaporean composer and educator Jia Yi Lee is our Composition of the Week.
Betwixt and between was premiered on June 23, 2024 in Singapore, and subsequently on July 18, 2024, in Gwangju, South-Korea, by the Philharmonic Wind Orchestra with Leonard Tan conducting.
“Written in four short, connected movements, Betwixt and Between shifts imperceptibly between Noise, seemingly random squeaks, slashes, swooshes and slides, and Harmony, represented by more stable long-held notes, which waver into quartertones and overtones.
Bewildering as that might sound, there is a strangely calming quality when the ears begin to adapt to each of the different alternating sonic milieus.”
Program Note from The Straits Times
“It has been a really long time since I’m back in Singapore to attend rehearsals and performances of my pieces, so I’m grateful that the stars have aligned and that I’m able to be here in person. It also feels surreal seeing many old friends in the band, having played (once) with Philharmonic Wind Orchestra (PWO) as a trumpeter many years ago, but now being on the other side as a composer. although I grew up learning (and loving) music in this medium, this is only my first (full) wind ensemble piece, since I’ve always been afraid to tackle such a “traditional”-sounding instrumentation until now. Betwixt and between, which means “neither here nor there”, is an encapsulation of all these feelings, and my attempt at bridging my love of unconventional sounds with the conventional wind band medium, about exploring the uncomfortable, unstable and noisy sounds, and the in-between harmonies (microtones)”
Program Note by Jia Yi Lee
Betwixt and between has a duration of ca. 6’30 and it is scored for wind ensemble and piano.
This recording has been donated by Mark Custom. To purchase the entire performance of the Philharmonic Wind Orchestra, please visit http://www.markcustom.com/
Jia Yi Lee is a Singaporean composer who writes music that explores the colors and textures of sound through movement, gesture and spatialization. She creates imaginative sound worlds inspired by natural phenomena and processes and is interested in the perception of temporality and timbre in music.
Jia Yi’s music has been performed by the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, KOU Musik (SG), Duo Tarenna (SG), Ensemble Multilatérale (FR), Trio SurPlus (DE), Ensemble Phoenix Basel (CH), Ensemble Linea (FR), Ensemble Signal (US), Talea Ensemble (US), Alarm Will Sound (US), Ensemble Ictus (BE), Tacet(i) Ensemble (TH), soloists from Ensemble Musikfabrik (DE), Toolbox Percussion (HK), Carton Jaune (EU) and heard in festivals such as IntAct Festival (TH), Toolbox International Creative Academy (HK), Académie Voix Nouvelles at Royaumont (FR), Mizzou International Composers Festival (US), June in Buffalo (US), Etchings Festival (FR), soundSCAPE Festival (IT) and Asian Composers League Festival (NZ & VN). She has been awarded the Otto Ortmann Prize in Composition (2021), and 2nd and 3rd Prizes in the Prix D'Été Competition (2022, 2020).
Apart from composing, Jia Yi plays the trumpet and is also passionate about music education. She served as a Graduate Assistant in Music Theory at the Peabody Institute and also taught composition as part of the school's Junior Bach Program. In addition, she is part of the organizing team for Music for All, Music with All, a Singapore-based initiative that promotes inclusivity through music education.
Jia Yi is currently pursuing her DMA at Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University, where she is also a Faculty Associate, teaching classes in composition and music theory. She holds a MM from Peabody Institute and a BM (Honors, Highest Distinction) from Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. Her teachers include Felipe Lara, Du Yun, Oscar Bettison, Ho Chee Kong, Peter Edwards and Adeline Wong.
Other works for winds include:
Impetus (2017) for brass quintet, 7’
Iridescence (2017) for wind quintet, 7’
Drift, crisscross, trance (2020) for bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, trombone and euphonium, 8’30
Pin-striped tit-babbler (2021) for wind quartet and organ, 3’30
Anew (2022), for 8-part wind band and percussion, 5’30
More on Jia Yi Lee: