Before Silence

for Sheng and Bassoon

Year: 2025

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Duration: 9'

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Written for Yang Zheng and Brigit Fitzgerald

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Premiere: January 29, 2024; Bates Recital Hall, UT Austin

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In Before Silence, the notion of adhering to a specific stylistic framework is explored in depth. Contrary to the understanding that borders and styles confine creativity, this composition demonstrates that such boundaries can instead act as catalysts for expansion and innovation. By intentionally staying within these confines, the music pushes and stretches the limits of that style, finding new means of expression within its structured framework.

Integral to this work is the blurriness of the borders between sounds and silences. This includes both very subtle sounds but also loud and impulsive ones. This way, the pauses and moments of quiet are not mere absences of sound; rather, they are fundamental components that shape the auditory landscape.