Writing music is how I express myself. After all, “where words fail, music speaks.” — Chelsea Loew, composer
Writing music is how I express myself. After all, “where words fail, music speaks.” — Chelsea Loew, composer
Leading up to Helia & Liaison Ensemble's October 27th concert, Early Music Meets New, we'll be posting interviews with our collaborators to offer you a sneak-peak into their lives, their musical process, and their inspiration. Read on to learn more! Meet Emily Koh! On October 27, 2018, Liaison will be giving the world-premiere of her new work am burning, have burned, will burn for mezzo-soprano and Baroque ensemble. Learn about her background, her piece, and fun facts about her life. Tell us a little about yourself - where you’re currently based, your musical journey so far, where you think you’re going. I'm from Singapore, and now live in Atlanta, GA. I am the eldest of 4 siblings, the only girl, and also the only musician in the family. I started learning the piano when I was 6, but absolutely hated it. I started learning the double bass when I was 14, and played in my school's Chinese Orchestra through high school. I wanted to be an orchestral bassist, but playing the same old music again became boring to me, so I started transcribing music for the bass and composing my own music. I completed my Ph.D. in Composition and Music Theory at Brandeis University in 2017, and currently teach at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. What inspires your music? Describe your voice. My music is inspired by all things uniquely human. I enjoy working with specific performers and try to push individual limits (mine mostly, and often my performers) In my music. My current musical interest is in expanding timbre and tonality using microtones and other small details of sound, as well as composing for low instruments. Tell us about the piece Liaison will be performing. I read the text of the original (Caccini's Ch'amor sia nudo), and couldn't stop thinking about other ways to interpret the cheekiness of Cupid. I decided to have a neo-noir take on Cupid, giving him a darker character and emphasizing on the slightly bloodier details of the poem. What was it like writing for Baroque instruments? Have you done this before? Challenging? Easy? Tell us about your process. I have not written for Baroque instruments before, but I had taken viola da gamba lessons at Peabody. I really enjoy the more intimate quality of Baroque instruments, and felt at home composing for the cello. I recently composed a (microtonal) guitar solo, and that prepared me for composing for the theorbo. I love the sound of the harpsichord, but had to find a way to integrate it into the sound world of this piece, which was challenging and fun. What's a fun fact about yourself? Interesting hobby outside of music? I enjoy eating and cooking. My favorite foods are fried noodles of all sorts -- pad see ew (Thai), mee goreng (Indonesian), char kuay teow (Singaporean) are some of my favorites. I have also tried making my own pasta, hand pulled noodles and knife noodles. Find out more about Emily by visiting: emilykoh.net Don't miss Emily's piece! Early Music Meets New: Liaison Ensemble + Helia Music Collective Saturday, October 27th at 8:00pm Center for New Music (55 Taylor St., SF, CA) $15 general/$10 members, students, seniors Tickets available at the door and online here.
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