Portfolio of Professional Activities Application for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Yale School of Music
Yan Ming Alvin Wong, cello MMA 2011, AD 2009.
Submitted on January 15, 2014
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12F, Tower 1, Park Central Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong
DMA Committee Yale School of Music 98 Wall Street New Haven, CT 06510 United States of America
! January 15, 2014 ! ! Dear DMA committee members, !
Please accept the submission of this portfolio as my application for the non-resident candidacy for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Cello Performance at the Yale School of Music. In this dossier, you will find a “Summary of Professional Activities” since my graduation from the Master of Musical Arts degree in May 2011, followed by evidence representing my contributions to the classical music profession in the United States and Asia Pacific region.
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When I graduated, I was looking for directions to develop my career as a professional cellist. There were two goals I knew I would want to achieve: to integrate performing and teaching, and to promote “classical music” and interact with a broader audience.
! Residencies as Guest Artist (Section 1) !
In August 2012, I successfully obtained the O-1B visa, which is for “individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement.” I immediately submitted proposals to several universities in the States, and was invited to hold residencies as a guest artist. These visits gave me opportunities to not only perform in recitals, but also interact with faculty members and students through master classes and workshops.
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Among the first invitations I received was a week-long residency at the Hong Kong Baptist University in January 2013, extended by their Music Department chair Professor Johnny Poon. Besides giving a recital, I also gave a master class for the cello students and coached their cello ensemble. This year, I was invited back to work with three chamber music groups over the course of one month. It was particularly rewarding to see students responding to a different teaching style and approach than what they were used to and see them improve dramatically over a short period of time.
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Chen Yi, Distinguished Professor of Music in Composition at the University of Missouri—Kansas City, invited me to do a somewhat different residency at her school. She commissioned five Chinese composition students to write five Chinese-influenced works for me, either for solo cello, or for cello and piano, and asked me to coach them individually. I also presented and performed these works in Prof. Chen’s “Introduction to Non-Western Music” class, as well as the Composers’ Guild Concert in the evening of the same day. It was a brand new experience for me and became a model I would use in my subsequent proposals. Eric Moe, Professor of Composition from the University
of Pittsburgh, who was also visiting UMKC at the same time, attended the concert and immediately invited me to do the same at his school.
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During my visit to the Murray State University in Kentucky upon composition faculty Brian Ciach’s invitation, I combined the previously described experience: I gave an all-new-music solo cello recital (including Ciach’s work for cello and electronics), a master class for low strings students, a workshop for composition students, and presented a guest lecture in a string pedagogy class. From then on I continued to hold residencies at schools in Australia, China, Hong Kong and the US.
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I find these residencies working particularly well in integrating performing and teaching together. Not only can the audience (students, faculty and general public alike) get to know me in practice, but also my artistic and pedagogical approaches through various classes. I also gained a lot of insights and experience from interacting with them, discussing different aspects of music and cello playing they were interested in, and exchanging ideas about teaching and the performing arts.
! Solo Performances (Section 2) !
In the past two and half years, I have given recitals throughout the United States and in Hong Kong on a regular basis. Besides those mentioned above, I have performed in various concert series, and in faculty concerts at Connecticut College and Neighborhood Music School. In programming for these concerts, I chose works that I have never learned or performed, and are thematically coherent or can showcase the versatility of the cello. For example, in the all-French program of the “La Nuit Romantique avec violoncelle” recital, I chose three canonical yet contrasting works for cello and piano by Debussy, Fauré and Franck.
! New Music (Section 3) !
I have a strong sense of affiliation to new music. To be specific, I love to get involved in the working process of producing a new work. This perhaps came from my experience working with various composers during school, in particular with Angel Lam when she was writing her cello concerto for Yo-yo Ma and the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra back in 2009. I believe new music represents the future, and a performer carries an enormous responsibility to be its ambassador.
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In my recitals I often program at least one contemporary work, usually by Chinese composers. I find an inherent understanding of their works in me, perhaps because we share the same language and some similarities in cultural and historical background. In particular, I love playing Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China, hence you see that work in many of my recital programs. Mr. Sheng invited me for a lecture presentation on this piece in his class at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he holds a distinguished visiting professorship and founded the acclaimed composers and performers workshop, The Intimacy of Creativity. This was a very unique experience for me, because for a substantial solo cello work written in 1995, premiered and recorded by the celebrated cellist Yo-yo Ma: he was willing to make minor changes when hearing me play in order to make it “more effective.” Subsequently he invited me to be a guest artist for his workshop in April 2014.
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I also enjoy giving full-length cello recitals of all contemporary works. While one new work in a traditional program will certainly stand out, awkward or not, a full recital of new works creates a dialogue between pieces. For example, I gave a recital of contemporary Chinese compositions for cello at the Central Conservatory of China (see Section 1), programming in such a way that the first
half is comprised of works by the “New Wave” composers, and the second half by composers born in the 1980s, who were also students of the “New Waves.” This program was repeated, in a lecturerecital format co-hosted by composers Chen Yi and Zhou Long, at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music (see Section 2). Both concerts were very well received with widely varying opinions of individual works, and I was very glad my initial goal was achieved.
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One of the highlights of my pursuit in new music was the participation in The 9th Thailand International Composition Festival. Upon hearing my performance at UMKC, artistic director Narong Prangchareon invited me to go to his festival as a featured soloist. I would give a half recital, sharing with the brilliant violist Michael Hall, of solo cello works. I performed four works, by one Brazilian, one Polish-Canadian and two Chinese composers, of very contrasting styles, showcasing the many facets of the instrument. He also had his colleague American composer James Ogburn write a cello concerto for me and the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra under Bright Sheng’s direction. The most exciting experience of the festival for me was the opportunity to meet eleven distinguished composers from around the world, including Zygmunt Krauze, Paul Patterson, Chinary Ung, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, and Bright Sheng (that’s three out of four “New Waves”!). It was a real treat to hear their music, attend their master lectures and build some friendships. This year I will be returning to play more music by Bernard Rands, Augusta Read Thomas and Ken Ueno.
! Chamber Music Performances (Section 4) !
Chamber music occupies a special place in my heart. I have successfully formed The Noble Trio, a piano trio, in January 2011 with violinist Yeseul Ann and pianist Michael Noble, and we were actively giving concerts for one year after taking two prizes at the Plowman Chamber Music Competition in May. As members went separate ways to pursue for their careers, the group could no longer stay together.
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Besides individually organized chamber music concerts, I participated in three festivals that programmed chamber music concerts. As the principal cellist of the Missouri Symphony in 2011, I performed several chamber works with other members of the orchestra. Immediately after, I joined the iPalpiti ensemble, directed by Eduard Schmieder, and performed in several chamber music concerts, playing works I had wanted to learn but never had a chance, such as the Tchaikovsky Sextet. The group was a mix of Asian, American and European musicians, and the chemistry was spontaneous. In 2012, I attended the Atlantic Music Festival in Maine as an artist fellow and played alongside with faculty members and other fellows. This was one of the most rewarding chamber music experience I have had, and we played repertoire ranging from Beethoven and Schubert to Piazzolla and Golijov.
! Orchestral Experience (Section 5) !
I won the principal cello position for the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and served for three seasons (2010-13). ECSO provided an excellent training ground for me to lead a section, play solo excerpts, and listen to auditions. I am returning this season to play the Brahms Double Concerto as a soloist with concertmaster Stephan Tieszen. In addition, I was invited to be guest principal cellist for the Missouri Symphony Orchestra in 2011, and in several other ensembles and capacities (as listed in the summary).
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! Teaching Experience (Section 6) !
I served on the faculty of Connecticut College as their Adjunct Instructor of Cello and Chamber Music for three and a half years, starting from fall of 2010. I taught three to four cello students per semester, a string pedagogy class, and coached chamber music groups and orchestra sectional rehearsals. I also performed in faculty recitals and concerts, attended juries and auditions, and carried out other administrative duties. Besides Connecticut College, I also taught at the Neighborhood Music School and the Hopkins School in New Haven, working with teenagers and adult students.
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I have always wanted to be a teacher/professor/pedagogue, and this position gave me an idea what would be expected of me in academia. Although it was only a part-time position, I enjoyed the working environment and the interaction with students. Most importantly, I came to realize that teaching means the most to me and this is what I want to pursue. I want to nurture the next generation of musicians and artists to spread the art form and connect people in the community. So I kept looking for a full-time teaching position, while continuing to give master classes and guest lectures in various schools and universities.
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After much persistence and with enormous support from mentors like Prof. Aldo Parisot and Prof. Chen Yi, I was offered a full-time teaching position at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at The University of Melbourne, Australia, as a Lecturer in Music (Cello)—one of the only two fulltime string teaching staff. I went through a competitive selection process the consisted of five rounds of interviews, including an eight-day on-campus residency giving a recital, a masterclass and several chamber music coachings. Besides a full load of teaching and administrative duties, I will have to expand my performance (they count it as research) career and reputation in the Asia Pacific region and globally. Recruiting students, significantly raising the level of performance and enhancing the program and its reputation globally are all within the scope of this position. I am grateful for this opportunity and will begin working in Melbourne in February 2014.
! Conference (Section 7) !
My MMA thesis on Chen Yi and Bright Sheng generated some interests in the academia, and I was invited to present my paper at the 2013 Chinese Composers’ Festival Symposia in Hong Kong. I gave a presentation on hybridity (a topic suggested by Prof. Michael Friedmann during my MMA years) with a live demonstration of excerpts from both works. It was enthusiastically received and led to a lively discussion on not only these Chinese composers’ stylistic development, but also issues, such as cultural identity, projected from their music. Very much to my surprise, I was encouraged to continue with my scholarly work and submit more papers. The playing component during the presentation also spun off several ongoing collaborative projects with a few composers who organized and moderated the conference (e.g. Richard Tsang, Joshua Chan and Samson Young).
! Outreach/Community (Section 8) !
Last but not least, I want to take performances out of traditional performing venues as much as possible. I have performed solo and chamber recitals in elderly homes and community centers, supported charitable and community events through playing, such as the Japanese earthquake memorial concert in New York City, and was featured in a Hong Kong pop star’s concert playing Piazzolla (which was considered unconventional). I look forward to exploring more possibilities of
this kind in Australia, a place that has a lot of potential for the growth of the classical profession and public awareness.
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In closing, I sincerely hope it will be evident from my letter of application and supporting materials that I have made significant and distinguished contributions to the musical profession and communities in several countries in North America and Asia Pacific since my graduation from the MMA degree three years ago. I have begun and will continue to pursue a career as an active performer of the highest caliber in solo, new music, chamber music and orchestral performances, a dedicated educator at both university and community levels, and an enthusiastic promoter for the art form to the general public.
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I respectfully submit this dossier and look forward to returning to Yale as a non-resident DMA candidate.
! ! Sincerely, ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Yan Ming Alvin Wong Cello MMA Class of 2011
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YAN MING ALVIN WONG (Cello) Summary of professional activities after receiving the Master of Musical Arts degree in 2011. 12F, Tower 1, Park Central Tseung Kwan O, HONG KONG
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+852 9227-1909 alvin.wong@unimelb.edu.au
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Education
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Master of Musical Arts Yale School of Music 2011 Thesis: Fusing Chinese and Western traditions: Hybridity in Bright Sheng's Seven Tunes Heard In China and Chen Yi's Ning. Artist Diploma Yale School of Music 2009
Residencies as Guest Cellist/Artist-In-Residence 2013 Jan 18-25 Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Guest Artist Recital; Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong. Beethoven Twelve Variations on the theme “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Mozart’s Opera “Die Zauberflöte,” Op. 66 and Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata, Op. 19. Amy Sze, piano. Master classes for cello students and cello ensemble.
!Feb 26-28
University of Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri, USA Guest lecture and performance in composition faculty Professor Chen Yi’s “Introduction to Non-Western music” class. Individual coaching for composition students on writing for the cello. Composer’s Guild Concert; University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO. JIANG Yu’s Longing For Home for Solo Cello (2012), Kay HE’s Fallen Leaves Drum Tower for Solo Cello (2013), Patrick Chan’s Shattered Wing for Solo Cello (2013), ZHOU Jing’s Mélancolique for Solo Cello (2013) and WANG A-Mao’s Returning Home (2013). WANG A-Mao, piano. [All World Premieres.]
!Mar 2-3
University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri, USA Guest Artist Recital; University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia MO. Debussy Sonate, Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello and Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119. Peter Miyamoto, piano. Master class for cello students.
!Mar 4-6
Murray State University, Kentucky, USA Guest Artist Recital: New Music for Solo Cello Brian Ciach Chaconne For Amplified Cello and Electronics (2008, rev. 2013), ZHOU Jing’s Mélancolique for Solo Cello (2013), JIANG Yu’s Longing For Home for Solo Cello (2012) and Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello. Master class for cello and double bass students.
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Guest lecture in string pedagogy class taught by Associate Professor Sue-Jean Park. Workshop for composition students on writing for the cello.
!Aug 1-9
Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne, Australia Guest Artist Recital Bach Cello Suite No. 3 In C Major, Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello, Beethoven Twelve Variations on the theme “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Mozart’s Opera “Die Zauberflöte,” Op. 66, and Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119. Master class for cello, violin and string quartet students.
!Nov 13-20
University of San Diego, California, USA Guest Artist Recital; University of San Diego, San Diego, CA. Shostakovich Prelude for 2 Cellos and Piano (Transcription), Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello, and Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119. Angela Yeung, cello; Xiao-yan Sui, piano. Guest Artist Recital; University of California--San Diego, San Diego, CA. Shostakovich Prelude for 2 Cellos and Piano (Transcription), Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello, and Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119. Angela Yeung, cello; Xiao-yan Sui, piano. Master class for cello students. Outreach: Guest Soloist with Coterie Celli; Julian Branch Library, Julian, CA.
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Dec 17-18 Minzu University of China, Beijing, China Guest Artist Recital Bach Cello Suite No. 3 In C Major, Beethoven Sonata in A Major, Op. 69 and Brahms Sonata in F Major, Op. 99. YANG Lulu, piano. Master class for cello students.
!Dec 16-19
Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China Guest Artist Recital CHEN Yi’s Memory for Solo Violin (arranged for Solo Cello by Alvin Wong) [World Premiere], ZHOU Long’s Wild Grass, Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello, ZHOU Jing’s Mélancolique for Solo Cello, WANG Fei-nan’s Diary of A Female Sniper and WANG A-Mao’s Returning Home. WANG A-Mao, piano. Master class for cello students from the attached high school division.
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Dec 30, 2013-Jan 30, 2014 Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Chamber Music Coachings for a string quartet, a piano trio, and an ensemble of mixed Western and Chinese traditional instruments.
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Jan 15 The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong Guest Artist Recital Beethoven Cello Sonata in D Major, Op. 102/2, Brahms Cello Sonata in E Minor, Op. 38, and Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119. Colleen Lee, piano.
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Master class for cello students and a chamber music group.
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Solo Performances Concertos 2013
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Jul 13 Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra; Mahidol University, Thailand. James Ogburn’s Cello Concerto [World Premiere]. Bright Sheng, conductor.
2014 Feb 8 Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra; Garde Arts Center, New London, Connecticut, USA. Brahms Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op. 102. Stephan Tieszen, violin; Toshiyuki Shimada, conductor.
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Recitals 2011
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Jul 14 “The Chinese Music Evening;” Consulate General of The People’s Republic of China, Los Angeles, California, USA. Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia for Violin and Cello. Catharina Chen, violin. Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello.
2012 Feb 12 “La Nuit Romantique avec violoncelle,” Faculty Concert Series; Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut. Debussy Sonate, Fauré Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 117 and Franck Sonata in A Major. Lucas Wong, piano. Mar 23 “Bach and the Cello,” Faculty Concert Series; Neighborhood Music School, New Haven, CT. Bach Cello Suites No. 4 in E-flat Major and No. 6 in D Major.
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Oct 6 Recital, David G. Whitcomb Foundation; Germantown, NY. Beethoven Twelve Variations on the theme “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Mozart’s Opera “Die Zauberflöte,” Op. 66, Schumann Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70, de Falla Suite Populaire Espagnole and Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata, Op. 19. Juan Carlos Fernandez-Nieto, piano.
2013 Jan 31 “The Versatile Cello,” Music Alive Inaugural Season Recital; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong. Beethoven Twelve Variations on the theme “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Mozart’s Opera “Die Zauberflöte,” Op. 66, Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello and Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata, Op. 19. Amy Sze, piano. Apr 6 “In C,” Faculty Concert Series; Neighborhood Music School, New Haven, CT. Britten Cello Sonata in C, Op. 65 and Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119. Juan Carlos Fernandez-Nieto, piano. Nov 17 Classics at the MERC Concert Series; Golden Valley Music Society, Temecula, CA. Bach Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, Shostakovich Prelude for 2 Cellos and Piano (Transcription), Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello, and Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119. Angela Yeung, cello; Xiao-yan Sui, piano.
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Dec 11 Cello & Piano Duo Recital; Citibank Plaza, Hong Kong. Beethoven Sonata in A Major, op. 69, Brahms Sonata in F Major, Op. 99 and Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119. Colleen Lee, piano.
Lecture Recitals 2013
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Jun 25 Presentation and Performance, hosted by Bright Sheng; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong. Bright Sheng's Seven Tunes Heard In China. Dec 20 Lecture Recital and Presentation, co-hosted by CHEN Yi and ZHOU Long; Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Tianjin, China. CHEN Yi’s Memory for Solo Violin (arranged for Solo Cello by Alvin Wong), ZHOU Long’s Wild Grass, Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard In China for Solo Cello, and WANG A-Mao’s Returning Home. WANG A-Mao, piano.
New Music Performances 2012
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Aug 2 “Salon Series III,” The Atlantic Music Festival; Colby College, Waterville, ME. Matthew Recio’s Aire Carnivore (2012) [world premiere]. Iain Crampton, violin; Jaime Davies-Ponce, oboe; Jade Conlee, piano.
2013 May 6 New Music Concert; Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut, USA. Eric Stern’s Sonic Nostalgia for Cello and Electronic Sound (2012-13) [World Premiere]. Electronic Sound via Kinect, Eric Stern. Jul 8-13 The Thailand International Composition Festival; Mahidol University, Thailand: Jul 10 Chamber Music Concert Guests: Solo Cello and Solo Viola Music Antonio Celso Ribeiro’s Broken Bagpipe for Solo Cello, Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard in China for Solo Cello, ZHOU Long’s Wild Grass and Norbert Palej’s Chaconne [World Premiere]. Jul 13 Celebrations!! James Ogburn’s Cello Concerto [World Premiere]. The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra; Bright Sheng, conductor.
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Oct 26 “Premiere Works XXII: Music of Young Composers;” Music From China; Symphony Space, New York City, USA. Scott Steele’s The Avoidance of a Word for Erhu, Cello and Percussion (2013) [World Premiere]. WANG Guowei, erhu; Scott Steele, percussion. ZHOU Jing’s Mélancolique for Cello and Zheng (2013) [World Premiere]. ZHOU Jing, zheng.
Chamber Music Performances 2011 Apr 2-3
The 5th Plowman Chamber Music Competition, The Missouri Theater for the Arts, Columbia, Missouri, USA. Brahms Piano Trio in B major, Op. 8 and Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 In E minor, Op. 67. The Noble Trio. May 6 “Cello and Guitar Duo;” Sunday Afternoon Classical Concert Series, E. C. Scranton Memorial Library, Madison, Connecticut, USA. Arrangements of works by Bach, Beethoven, Saint-Saens and Satie; original works by Piazzolla. Max Zuckerman, guitar. Jun 11-Jul 9
“Hot Summer Nights,” The Missouri Symphony Society; The Missouri Theater for the Arts, Columbia, Missouri, USA: Jun 20 Chamber Concert Series I Mozart Duo in G Major, K. 423. Yeseul Ann, violin.
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Dvořák String Quartet in F major “American,” Op. 96. Gared Crawford and Hyo Choi, violin; Tatiana Kotcherguina, viola. Jul 5 Chamber Concert Series II Dunhill Horn Quintet in F Minor “Nitor in Adversum.” Marcia Spence, horn; Algimantas Staskovicius and Yeseul Ann, violin; Tatiana Kotcherguina, viola. Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115. Marianne Shifrin, clarinet; Algimantas Staskovicius and Rachel Grubb, violin; Tatiana Kotcherguina, viola. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival; University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA: Jul 20 “iPalpiti Soloists” Tchaikovsky String Sextet in D minor, Op. 70. Vesselin Demirev and Conrad Chow, violin; Alfiya Latypova and Can Sakul, viola; Lars Hoefs, cello.
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Jul 21 “iPalpiti Soloists - Duos: From Baroque to the 20th Century” Handel-Haolvorsen Passacaglia. Catharina Chen, violin. Honegger Saluste du Bartas (Six villanelles), no. 6 Duo H. 152. Peter Rainer, violin.
2012 Mar 4 “Sensual Duos for Violin & Cello;” Madison Winter Club, Madison, Connecticut, USA. Handel-Haolvorsen Passacaglia, Mozart Duo in G Major, K. 423 and Kodály Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7. Yeseul Ann, violin. Mar 24 “Sensual Duos for Violin & Cello,” Music Matters Series; La Grua Center, Stonington, Connecticut, USA. Handel-Haolvorsen Passacaglia, Mozart Duo in G Major, K. 423 and Kodály Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7. Yeseul Ann, violin. Jul 9-Aug 5 The Atlantic Music Festival; Colby College, Waterville, Maine, USA: Jul 18 “Chamber Concert I” Beethoven Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 1 No. 1. Dennis Kim, violin; Jun Cho, piano. Schubert Piano Quintet in A Major “Die Forelle,” D. 667. Hyun Jee Chung, violin; Frank Foerster, viola; Mikko Moilanen, contrabass; Sangwoo Kang, piano. Jul 20 “Exposition Universelle: Spain and Latin America” Piazzolla Verano Porteno. Dennis Kim, violin; David Fung, piano. Ginastera String Quartet No. 1, Op. 20. Jaewon Bang and Iain Crampton, violin; Rebekah Newman, viola. Aug 2 “Salon Series III” Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round. Dennis Kim, Hyun Jee Chung, Elly Suh and Hyun Joo Shin, violin; Rebekah Newman, viola; Ian Gottlieb, cello; Matthew Rosenthal, contrabass. Aug 3 “String Classics” Mendelssohn String Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20. Elly Suh, Hyun Jee Chung, Dongjoo Lee and Joy Rhee, violin; Hyo-Joo Uh and Frank Foerster, viola; Jonah Kim, cello. Aug 4 “Salon Series IV” Ravel Piano Trio in A minor. Jun Cho, piano; Seung Hee Yang, violin.
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Nov 16 “From the 18th to the 21st century,” Bach’s Lunch Series; Neighborhood Music School, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Mozart Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285 and Piazzolla Fuga y Misterio. Naomi Senzer, flute; Gretchen Frazier, violin; Bethany Eby, viola.
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2013 Nov 8 “Chamber Music from European Nationalists,” Bach’s Lunch Series. Neighborhood Music School, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Debussy Piano Trio in G Major, L3, Arensky Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 32 and Smetana Piano Trio in G Minor. Hilary Castle, violin; Juan Carlos Fernandez-Nieto, piano.
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Nov 9 “Three Piano Trios By Three Nationalists,” Music Matters Series; La Grua Center, Stonington, Connecticut, USA. Debussy Piano Trio in G Major, L3, Arensky Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 32 and Smetana Piano Trio in G Minor. Hilary Castle, violin; Juan Carlos Fernandez-Nieto, piano.
Professional Orchestral Experience 2010-13 2011-13 2012 2011
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Principal, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Connecticut. New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Connecticut. Principal, Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, Maine. Principal, The Virginia Hagemann Cello Chair, Missouri Symphony Orchestra, Missouri. Principal, iPalpiti Orchestral Ensemble of International Laureates, California.
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Ensemble Performances 2011
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Jul 23 iPalpiti Orchestral Ensemble of International Laureates; Temple University, Philadelphia; Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California, USA. Britten Young Apollo, Op. 16, Avner Dorman's Concerto Grosso for string orchestra and quartet, Mahler Adagio from 10th Symphony in F# minor, Dvořák Serenade in E major, Op. 22 and Rachmaninoff Romance & Scherzo. Eduard Schmieder, director.
2012 Apr 1 “De Profundis,” Yale in New York Series; Carnegie Hall, New York City, USA. Sofia Gubaidulina’s Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings. Frank Morelli, bassoon. Apr 11 “The Yale Cellos,” Yale School of Music, New Haven, Cconnecticut, USA. Schumann Träumerei from Kinderszenen, Op. 15 (arranged by Alvin Wong), Popper Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 68, Christopher Rouse’s Rapturedux (2001), Albinoni Adagio in G Minor and Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1. The Yale Cellos. Aldo Parisot, director.
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Aug 1 “American Masters,” The Atlantic Music Festival; Colby College, Waterville, Maine, USA. Copland Appalachian Spring. Gene Kim, conductor.
2013
Apr 11 “Serenade & Metamorphosis,” Yale in New York Series; Sprague Hall, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Apr 12 “Serenade & Metamorphosis,” Yale in New York Series; Carnegie Hall, New York City, USA. Matthew Barnson’s The Rule and Exercises of Holy Dying (memento mori after Gerhard Richter) (2012), Richard Strauss Metamorphosen, Op. 142 and Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48; David Shifrin, artistic director; Ani Kavafian, concertmaster.
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Concert Reviews “...but the orchestra member ordained by Brahms to take the spotlight was cello principal Alvin Wong, as the novel, four movement concerto [Piano Concerto No. 2] seems to begin its Andante as a cello concerto. And in this slow movement, the moments of magic were found. After a scherzo movement that crackled with energy, Wong opened the andante with a soothing richness in its serene theme, which sang in his cello until [Peter] Frankl entered, the role of the piano not so much to expand the theme, but to comment on it.” - Milton Moore, “Review: A starry start to the ECSO season,” The Day, New London, Connecticut, USA. October 21, 2012. “The cellist, Alvin Wong, shows complete control over the instrument, making it sound almost alive, transcending the cello’s natural classical roots into an ultra-contemporary and ultra-avant-garde, though inertly human, sound.”" - Sai Srikar Kadiyam, “Composer’s Guild performance pushes ideas of expression in music,” University News, Kansas City, Missouri, USA. March 5, 2013. “Many of the best moments are given to the cello in the opening movement, and Wong was both emphatic and projected a warm hall-filling sound. Both soloists were dynamic in the paired cadenza that comes at the start, a very testing entrance, to be sure...the pair were sonically balanced throughout, no rare feat, as they played in dialogs, in octaves and in forceful paired stops.” - Milton Moore, “Shimada reinvents ‘the Three Bs’ for a fine ECSO performance,” The Day, New London, Connecticut, USA. Feb 9, 2014.
! ! Teaching Experience Teaching Positions 2010-13 Connecticut College (New London, Connecticut, USA) Adjunct Instructor of Cello and Chamber Music: • teach undergraduate individual lessons, coach chamber music groups, coach lower string sectional rehearsals for the school orchestra; • give annual faculty solo recitals, and perform with other faculty members and students in chamber, contemporary and electronic music concerts; • teach string pedagogy class; • fulfill administrative duties such as recruiting students via campus visits, hold auditions and juries, attend student recitals. 2010-13 Neighborhood Music School (New Haven, Connecticut, USA) Cello and Piano Faculty: teach individual lessons to community students, aged 9 to adult; perform in faculty concerts; accompany student recitals; judge school auditions and competitions. 2011-13 Hopkins School (New Haven, Connecticut, USA) • Cello Faculty: teach individual lessons to grade 7-12 students. 2014-
Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne (Melbourne, Australia) Lecturer in Music (Cello) (Full-time position) • deliver individual lessons, masterclasses, performance classes and seminars in strings performance and pedagogy; • participate in administration of activities associated with the strings department and academic administration in the conservatorium; • maintain active research and performance career, and a sustained reputation as a performer of highest caliber in solo and ensemble contexts in local, national and international communities; • recruit qualified students to candidature in higher degrees in performance and supervise higher degree students.
Master Classes
Wong, p. !8
2014
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Baptist University, The Hong Kong Institute of Education. China: Central Conservatory of Music (Attached High School), Minzu University of China.
2013
USA: University of San Diego (California), University of Missouri-Columbia (Missouri), Murray State University (Kentucky). Australia: Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Baptist University.
Lectures 2013 Feb 28 Lecture and Performance, “Introduction to Non-Western Music,” hosted by CHEN Yi; University of Missouri—Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Jun 25 Presentation and Performance, hosted by Bright Sheng; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong. (See under “Solo Performances”) Sep 5 Guest Lecture, “Contemporary Music Techniques,” hosted by Pui-shan Cheung; Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong. Dec 20 Lecture Recital and Presentation, co-hosted by CHEN Yi and ZHOU Long; Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Tianjin, China. (See under “Solo Performances”)
! ! Conference 2013 Dec 3-4 Chinese Composers’ Festival Symposia: Retrospect and Prospect: Chinese Composers in the Age of Globalization. Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong. “Fusing Chinese and Western Traditions: hybridity in Bright Sheng’s Seven Tunes Heard in China and Chen Yi’s Ning.” Abstract: Ethnomusicologist Sarah Weiss proposes a model of hybridity which characterizes musical styles that emerge from distinct stylistic parents as products of two compositional approaches: "intentional hybridity," in which listeners are able to identify elements from each parent style being juxtaposed; and "natural hybridity" where the resulting style is similar to but not exactly like its parents and develops in its own right. The author perceives this model as a continuing spectrum with the two hybridities representing the opposite ends. Contemporary Chinese composers Chen Yi and Bright Sheng were trained in both Chinese and Western musical traditions, and their styles are often described in terms of fusion. This paper focuses on one work by each composer, and discusses the materials, techniques and strategies these composers use to exhibit their personal approach, and where these two works fall in the spectrum of hybridity. Folk tunes are quoted in both works, but Bright Sheng in his solo cello work Seven Tunes Heard In China presents authentic quotations before developing them in his own language, while Chen Yi conspicuously incorporated fragments of the folk tune Molihua throughout her Ning, a one-movement trio for violin, cello and pipa.
! ! Adjudication 2014 2013 2012
2011
!
The South China Morning Post "Student of the Year--Performing Artist;" Hong Kong. The 54th Annual Instrumental Competition, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, New London, CT. Annual Concerto Competition, Yale Symphony Orchestra, New Haven, CT. 2012 Section Violin (1st), Assistant Principal Viola and Section Viola auditions, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. Section Cello audition, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra.
Wong, p. !9
! Fellowships and Awards 2011
! !
The Edward & Judith Chmielewski Honorable Mention Award and The Hugo Vianello Audience Prize (to “The Noble Piano Trio”), The 5th Plowman Chamber Music Competition, Columbia MO.
Released Recordings Flights of Passage--Chamber Music by Claude Baker; New Music from Indiana University, Vol. 9. IUMusic. 2012. Claude Baker’s Tableaux Funèbres for Piano Quintet (2003). Véronique Mathieu and Stanislav Pronin, violins; Sheldon Person, viola; Timothy Best, piano.
! ! Outreach 2013 2012 2011
! !
Recital, Yale Club of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. “East Japan Tsunami Memorial Concert,” Japanese American Association of New York, New York City. Recital, Whitney Center for Elderly, Hamden, CT. Chamber Music Concerts with The Noble Trio, Whitney Center for Elderly, Hamden, CT; Edgehill Community Center, Stamford, CT.
Piano Accompanist Experience Connecticut College: my students’ juries Neighborhood Music School: Student recitals (cello, violin, flute) Yale School of Music: Prof. Parisot’s lessons and master classes
! !
Musical Arrangements Chen Yi Boccherini Schumann Dvořák Grieg Haydn John Rutter
Memory for Solo Violin (arranged for Solo Cello, performed for and approved by composer) Minuet in A Major for four cellos. Träumerei for four cellos. Going Home for bass-baritone and four cellos. Prelude and Air from Holberg’s Suite for cello ensemble. Sitio from “The Seven Last Words of Christ” for cello ensemble. For the Beauty of the Earth for cello and guitar.
Content
! Cover Letter ! Summary of Post-MMA Professional Activities ! 1. Residencies as Guest Artist ! 2. Solo Performances Concertos Recitals Lecture Recitals
! 3. New Music Performances ! 4. Chamber Music Performances !
5. Orchestral Experience Professional Orchestral Experience Ensemble Performances
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6. Teaching Experience Teaching Positions Master Classes Lectures Adjudication
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7. Research Experience Conference
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8. Outreach/Community Experience Performances
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Appendix (Scores)