ICMC/25/d2/1100 Concert n08/09 Galaxy
Galaxy, for Instrument/Guzheng, electronic music and visual media
#Description
- The starry sky has long been a symbolic medium for Chinese literati to express their emotions. This piece uses “stars” as its source of inspiration, with the sound of the Zheng metaphorically conveying the connection between “stars” and “hearts.” The work experimentally incorporates AI technology: using AI visual algorithms and real-time timbre rendering algorithms, the performer can break free from the limitations of physical instruments and play virtual instruments in the air. The performer can not only control pitch, duration, dynamics, and articulation with precision in space but also perform operations like timbre switching and effect changes that are impossible in conventional performances.
#Composer Person/Yuming Sun
- Sun Yuming, Ph.D., is a composer, music producer, and lecturer of electronic music composition at the Central Conservatory of Music. He studied under Professor Li Xiaobing, Director of the Department of AI Music and Music Information Technology and Ph.D. advisor at the Central Conservatory of Music. Sun was admitted to the conservatory in 2008, where he was recommended for a master’s program and later pursued a Ph.D. in 2020, graduating in 2023 and staying on as a faculty member. Sun has received numerous honors, including the National Graduate Scholarship , the China Telecom Scholarship, the Soong Ching Ling Foundation-Gucci Music Fund, and recognition as an Outstanding Student in Beijing and an Outstanding Graduate in Beijing. He was also named an Advanced Individual of Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. His compositions have won first prizes in the 7th and 11th MUSICACOUSTIC-BEIJING Composition Competitions and the Oskar Kolberg Electronic Music Composition Special Competition. Sun has contributed to the music production of numerous large-scale programs and has served as the music director for various CCTV shows, including “Charity Night,” the “Shining Names” award ceremonies, the special program “Safe Travels” for National Traffic Safety Day, and “Landmarks of Chinese Civilization.” His works are widely performed across major media platforms, and his piece “The Ship” was featured on the popular show “I Am a Singer” in 2019.
- Hui Weng is a distinguished guzheng performer, composer, and interdisciplinary artist whose work bridges ancient Chinese musical traditions with contemporary global expressions. She is the first faculty member at both Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory to specialize in Chinese traditional instruments. She has pioneered innovative, integrative curriculum and ensemble programs that center Chinese music while blending multicultural and modern practices, expanding space for non-Western instruments and cross-cultural artistry in world-renowned institutions. Her artistry fearlessly combines traditional, contemporary, and improvisational elements to push the expressive boundaries of the guzheng. Hui has received numerous prestigious honors including the Jin Zhong Award, “National Rising Star,” “Oriental Artist,” the Musical Independent Award, and Emerging Artists Fellowship. Her work often fuses music with movement, visual media, and environmental themes, offering a forward-looking aesthetic deeply rooted in cultural dialogue. Her current project, Rivers of Resonance, supported by Berklee’s Faculty Development Grant, explores the connections between sound, ecology, and cultural memory. Through collaborative performances, recordings, and immersive installations, the project has been presented at Harvard University, Wellesley College, and continues to grow through interdisciplinary collaborations with institutions such as MIT and the Dunhuang Academy.