This 10′ composition is written for solo piano with electronics. The music is inspired by an imaginary Chinese folktale about a supernatural nightingale who travels through time, from the dawn of the imaginary Silk Road adventures to the contemporary impact of colonization, dramatizing human experiences and the exchange of languages, cultures, and chaos. The work will showcase the virtuosity and sensitivity of the pianist as well as various inside piano techniques. The electronic track is a combination of altered old folk tunes and human voices fused with multiple layers of engineered acoustic and synthesized sounds to evoke the exotic sounds of ancient instruments and narratives through the changes in history.

This work is commissioned by Vancouver’s Müzewest Concerts Society, written especially for pianist Han Chen, through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts.