Sungji Hong

03/04/2015
rarescale's Artistic Director, Carla Rees, talks to composer Sungji Hong, ahead of the world premiere of Shine for flute and electronics on 15th April 2015 at The Forge in Camden.
Tell us about the background to Shine - how did it come to be written and what's it all about?

In 2007, Carla asked me to write a new work for her. In 2010, I wrote SOARING for solo flute for her and she first performed it in July 2012 at the Shoreditch Church in London. SOARING is a virtuosic display of constantly swirling notes as if a seabird dynamically soars by repeatedly diving into the valleys of ocean waves, and then wheeling back up into the air. Carla deployed explosive virtuosity in SOARING and exhibited everything that matters in music making.

I completed SHINE for flute and electronics in 2015. It was possible because Carla provided studio recordings of the flute solo part which comes mostly from SOARING that I wrote for her in 2010. I made use of her recording as the main sound sources on the tape in order to create a unified sonic world between the electronic part and instrumental part.

SHINE for flute and electronics written for flutist Carla Rees was supported by New Music USA.

In the concert BISBIGLIO, for flute, clarinet and piano will also be performed by Carla (fl), Heather (cl) and Xenia (pf). BISBIGLIO is one of the last pieces that I wrote in Thessaloniki before I moved to Dallas, Texas. The work was written for the International Contemporary Music Festival in Cyprus and it was first performed by Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble in September 2011.


How does this work relate to your other compositional output?

Carla got to know my music via rarescale’s clarinetist, Sarah Watts, with whom I had worked on BLACK ARROW for bass clarinet and electronics.rarescale has programmed this work in their concerts numerous times and this brought me great opportunities to write two flute pieces for Carla.


SHINE
2015
For flute and electronics


BISBIGLIO
2011
For flute, clarinet and piano


BLACK ARROW
2005
For bass clarinet and electronics