《為》String Quartet No.1: BE (2015)

For string quartet

• Premiered in Kaohsiung City Music Hall on 7 May, 2015.

• Performed by Lee Shi Mei, Siew Yi Li, Jonathan Lee and Dylan Lee in Recital Theatre, The Esplanade on  8 December, 2015 during 1st Singapore Asian Composers Festival.

• Performed in Vietnam National Academy of Music, Vietnam on 15 October, 2016 during ACL Conference & Festival/ 2nd “Asia-Europe” New Music Festival 2016.

For string orchestra

• premiered by CMHK, conducted by Prof. Johnny Poon in Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall on 12 February, 2016.

Programme Notes

雖然並不是作曲家第一首為弦樂四重奏而寫的作品，但把作品命名為《弦樂四重奏》卻是第一次。其題《為》，乃是希望把四件樂器的音色變化、織體及和聲作「為」音樂的素材，從而突出弦四的特性。在錯中複雜的線條交織下，作品中四件樂器有時會合而為一，有時則各自顯露出鮮明的性格。

Even though this is not the composer’s first work for string quartet, but naming it as “String Quartet No.1” means a lot. The title, “BE,” displays the composer’s intention to use tone colours, texture, and harmony as the basic materials, so as to highlight the special characters of a string quartet. Through manipulating the intertwining melodic lines, the four instruments would not only merge and become a unity, their individual uniqueness would also be featured.