衛武營國際音樂節作曲工作坊：照片、心得 Weiwuying International Music Festival Composition Workshop: Photos, Reflection (April ’24)
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It was a great privilege to be able to participate in the composition workshop with Unsuk Chin, organised by the 2024 Weiwuying International Music Festival. It was an important recognition for me that I am working on pieces which Unsuk Chin deemed worthy of closer inspection, and in which she felt sufficiently interested that she would want to coach me. The workshop with the six chosen composers was very useful, and a pleasant experience. I learnt a lot from the lessons that the other five composers had with Ms Chin, especially those instances in which she was more critical towards the composer’s work. Her musical perception and imagination were inspiring, as well as the clearly high standards of artistry she expects of us young (or not quite so young) composers. She demanded of us an adventurous, self-critical, searching attitude, and this was in important reminder to me not to give up entirely on a kind of creative idealism that all composers should have. It is very difficult, in the broader social climate—especially in Taiwan, where, like the West, a wholescale devaluation of literate music education is occurring— to maintain such an integrity and idealism. My hour with Ms Chin went by shockingly quickly, and it was packed with useful information of all kinds, especially about orchestration, texture, balance and instrumental colour. It was certainly affirming to hear her compliment some of the more beautiful passages in the piece, but most useful of all was the ability to hear her advice about places where she felt the textures lacked clarity. I was taking notes non-stop for the whole hour I was with her, and she gave me a lot to absorb and think about in the coming months.
It was also a crucial opportunity for me to observe the activities of the festival up close, in preparation for next year’s commission to compose a new piece for the festival. It was extremely valuable for me to be able to observe the rehearsals that conductor Pierre-André Valade directed with the Weiwuying Contemporary Music Ensemble. I was able to observe the ensemble’s early encounters with difficult and unfamiliar pieces, as well as the progression from sight-reading to complete and accomplished performance. It helps me to imagine the sort of difficulties that the ensemble tends to encounter when first learning a new piece, the things they find challenging, and the things they take to very quickly. This will be invaluable for me as I begin to imagine my new work for the group. Pierre-André was extremely welcoming and cordial with me, and I was very flattered that he even said to me that it was great to have my presence in the rehearsal. It was important to me that I be a positive presence in some way, rather than a passive observer, and I am glad that this came across for him. As a conductor myself, I learnt a huge amount both from observing his baton technique, body language, facial expression and cues up close, as well from observing his rehearsal technique, manner of communication with the performers, and the way he broke up and tackled the very challenging repertoire.
Many thanks once again to the festival for giving me this invaluable opportunity, and I look forward to next year’s rehearsals, workshops and concerts.
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