East-West Collaboration

Our Mission

How many pieces can you name that use the erhu? The guzheng? The pipa?

I bet the chances are high that if I ask the same question for violin, piano, or harp, that number suddenly skyrockets!

Why are these beautiful, heartfelt, and complex instruments with such a rich history so unknown in the general canonic body of repertoire? Some questions perhaps cannot be fully answered. But they can be acknowledged! And that is what East-West Collaboration attempts to do.

East-West Collaboration is an innovative musical initiative founded by Indiana University composition student Corey Chang and supported through the Jacobs School of Music, the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in Hangzhou, China, and Indiana University’s East Asian Languages and Cultures Department. Consisting of team members Corey Chang (composer and East-West Collaboration organizer), Steven Yin (head of the IU Chinese Gateway), Wu Man (international pipa virtuoso), and Jimmy Wu (head of international affairs at Zhejiang Conservatory), our mission is to explore and expand the repertoire of mixed Asian ensemble music through the commissioning of original works that seamlessly blend traditional Chinese instruments with standard Western orchestral counterparts. By fostering cultural exchange and collaboration, East-West Collaboration aims to bridge the gap between Chinese and Western musical traditions, creating a harmonious fusion that showcases the unique qualities of both.

Four composition students affiliated with Indiana University have been commissioned to create new compositions for performers at Zhejiang Conservatory, combining instruments from both Eastern and Western backgrounds. A final performance has been planned in May, 2024, featuring the premiere of these commissioned works.

East-West Collaboration goes beyond musical exploration; it serves as a platform for cultural unity, addressing the perceived lack of representation and diversity in traditional instrumentations within concert music, contemporary music, and beyond. By leveraging the power of music, this initiative seeks to strengthen ties between cultural backgrounds, fostering understanding and appreciation in today’s complex social climate.

 

Composers

 

Corey Chang

張智恆 ，被《The Millbrook Independent》誉为“他这一代的主要作曲家”，是一位美国作曲家、钢琴家和教育家，目前定居在印第安纳州的布卢明顿。他曾获得ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer奖，并入围2023年艺术与文学学院音乐奖提名。他的音乐曾由Euclid Quartet、The Da Capo Chamber Players、The National Sawdust Ensemble、Imani Winds、Ensemble intercontemporain、Arx duo、KOE、Bard College-Conservatory Orchestra、印第安纳大学MCCSC乐队和New Haven交响乐团等进行研讨和演出，同时也受到吉他手Jiji Kim、大提琴家Jay Campbell、钢琴家Blair McMillen、中提琴手Yuchen Lu和打击乐手Harrison Honor等当代独奏演奏家的青睐。 Chang在巴德音樂學院取得作曲和数学双学士学位. 他曾是茱莉亞音樂學院的 Morse Teaching Fellow，他榮獲 Joseph W. Polisi 的作曲艺朮家公民獎，并获得茱莉亚音乐学院作曲硕士学位。Chang目前是印第安纳大学雅各布音乐学院的博士生和作曲系的講師，担任雅各布作曲学院指導作曲和大師課，並且是其行政助理。

Corey Chang, described as “a major composer…of his generation” by The Millbrook Independent, is an American composer, pianist and educator currently based in Bloomington, Indiana. He is the recipient of an ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award and a nominee for a 2023 Academy of Arts and Letters music award, and his music has been workshopped and performed by the Euclid Quartet, The Da Capo Chamber Players, The National Sawdust Ensemble, Imani Winds, Ensemble intercontemporain, Arx duo, KOE, the Bard College-Conservatory Orchestra, the Indiana University MCCSC Band and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, as well as contemporary solo performers such as guitarist Jiji Kim, cellist Jay Campbell, pianist Blair McMillen, violist Yuchen Lu and percussionist Harrison Honor, among many others. Chang holds dual degrees in Composition and Mathematics from Bard College and a Master’s Degree in Composition from The Juilliard School, where he was a Morse Teaching Fellow and was awarded the Joseph W. Polisi “Artist as Citizen” prize. Chang is currently a doctoral student and Associate Instructor of Composition at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and serves as the Administrative Assistant of the Jacobs Composition Academy, where he is also on the composition and masterclass faculty.

Xinyuan Deng

邓欣源，出⽣于河南洛阳，是⼀位年轻⽽多才多艺的作曲家。她在中央⾳乐学院作曲系完 成本科学业，先后受教于刘长远、张帅、罗新民和李滨扬教授。在2022年，她获得了印第 安纳⼤学雅各布斯作曲系的硕⼠学位。⽬前，她正在印第安纳⼤学攻读⾳乐博⼠学位，专 攻作曲，兼修⾳乐理论和电⼦⾳乐。 邓欣源的⾳乐作品融合了中西⽅的⾳乐影响，与奥地利著名的PHACE当代⾳乐乐团合作 的作品《槐序-为中西混合室内乐⽽作》荣获优秀作品奖。同年，她的钢琴独奏作品《豫 韵》在第⼗⼆届“炎黄杯”中国风格钢琴作品作曲⽐赛中获得三等奖。2019年8⽉，她与哈 尔滨交响乐团合作，创作的管弦乐队作品《冰⾠幻雪》在第⼆届哈尔滨⾳乐⽐赛开幕式暨 作曲决赛⾳乐会上演奏。2020年9⽉，她的管弦乐队作品《時憶》由浙江交响乐团演奏， 荣获第⼀届杭州现代⾳乐节“艺创奖”国际管弦乐作曲⽐赛的三等奖。2023年，她应乔治⾳ 乐节的委约邀请，创作的《Notturno》由The Rhythm Method Quartet演奏。 在电⼦⾳乐领域，邓欣源的作品曾受到EMM、SEAMUS和约翰逊⼤学的New Music Cafe 等⾳乐节的认可。她在印第安纳⼤学主要的作曲⽼师有David Dzubay、Aaron Travers、 Don Freund、Han Lash, John Gibson和王驰教授。邓欣源⽬前也是雅各布斯作曲学院的教 师，致⼒于培养下⼀代⾳乐⼈才。

Xinyuan Deng, a versatile artist from Henan, China, excels as a composer, pianist, conductor, and educator, seamlessly blending Eastern and Western influences. Her musical prowess has captivated audiences through performances with renowned ensembles like PHACE Contemporary Ensemble and Zhejiang Symphonic Orchestra. Notably, her composition “Huai Xu” earned acclaim from Austria’s PHACE ensemble. Xinyuan’s remarkable musical journey includes winning an honor prize at the 12th Yanhuang Cup Chinese Style Piano Work Competition for “The Rhyme of Yu Opera,” orchestrating a captivating premiere of “Magic of Snow” with the Harbin Symphony Orchestra, and earning recognition for “Time Meditation” at the 1st Hangzhou Contemporary Music Festival. As a composer fellow at the Lake George Music Festival, she breathed life into “Notturno” with The Rhythm Method Quartet in 2023. Holder of a bachelor’s degree from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing under the guidance of Binyang Li, Ximin Luo, and Shuai Zhang, Xinyuan earned her master’s degree at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Currently pursuing her doctoral of music degree at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, mentored by David Dzubay, Aaron Travers, Don Freund, and Han Lash, she also explores Electronic Music with guidance from John Gibson and Chi Wang. Her electronic compositions have been featured in festivals such as EMM, SEAMUS, and New Music Cafe at Johnson University.

Shuyu Lin

Shuyu Lin is a composer, electronic music composerbased in Xiamen, China. Her acoustic music has been featured in venues and festivals, such as in China, the United States, and Europe and has been performed by groups, such as Shanghai Kun Opera, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, PHACE Contemporary Music Ensemble, Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, and IU New Music Ensemble, etc.; her electronic music has been played in the festivals such as NYCEMF, WOCMAT, and MUSICACOUSTICA-BEIJING, ICMC, and EMM. She earned a B.M. from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and M.M. and D.M. from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Her principal composition teachers include David Dzubay, Aaron Travers, Eugene O’Brien, Daqun Jia, Deqing Wen, Weihao Qiang, and Qing Shao. For electronic music, she studies with Jeffrey Hass, John Gibson, Chi Wang, Chengbi An, and Qian Zhou. Now, she is teaching in the Music School of Huzhou University.

Huan Sun

孙欢，一位当代音乐作曲家，她的创作灵感源自多元的影响，巧妙地将中国文化、视觉艺术和文学元素交织于她独特的音乐作品中。 她的作品赢得了全球的赞誉，其中值得注意的成就包括在 “第9届炎黄艺术歌曲作曲大赛” 中赢得室内艺术歌曲一等奖。她的管弦乐作品《阿卡迪亚花园》由中国青年交响乐团首演。孙欢在2021年被认定为BMP Next Generation Opera Competition计划的决赛选手。在2024年，她为独奏大鼓和固定媒体创作的电子音乐作品《融化的回声，坍塌的咆哮》将在SEAMUS上演。此外，她的小提琴协奏曲与打击乐团作品，题为《融化的回声，坍塌的咆哮》，将由印第安纳大学打击乐团首演。 孙欢拥有北京中央音乐学院学士学位，师从郝维雅和唐建平。她在曼尼斯音乐学院获得硕士学位，得到黄若和凯瑟琳·巴尔奇的指导。目前，她正在印第安纳大学雅各布音乐学院攻读博士学位，导师是潘庆骏、艾伦·特拉弗斯和大卫·茨贝，电子音乐专业由约翰·吉布森和王弛指导。

Huan Sun, a contemporary music composer, finds her creative muse in a diverse tapestry of influences, seamlessly weaving elements from Chinese culture, visual arts, and literature into her distinctive musical compositions. Her works have earned global acclaim, with notable achievements such as winning first prize in “The 9th Yanhuang Art Song Composition Competition” for her chamber art song. The premiere of her orchestral piece, “The Garden of Arcadia,” was presented by the China Youth Symphony Orchestra. Huan Sun was recognized as a finalist in the BMP Next Generation Opera Competition Program in 2021. In 2024, her electronic music piece, “Melting Echo, Collapsing Roar,” composed for solo bass drum and fixed media, is slated for performance at SEAMUS. Additionally, her violin concerto with percussion ensemble, titled “Melting Echo, Collapsing Roar,” will have its premiere by the IU Percussion Ensemble. Huan Sun holds a bachelor’s degree from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, studying under Weiya Hao and Jianping Tang. She earned her master’s degree at Mannes School of Music with guidance from Huang Ruo and Katherine Balch. Currently, she is pursuing her doctoral degree at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, mentored by P.Q. Phan, Aaron Travers, and David Dzubay, with a minor in Electronic Music under the supervision of John Gibson and Chi Wang.