Meet the Cone Institute Composers: Jung Yoon Wie
Jung Yoon Wie is one of the four composers of the 2016 NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute. Read a Q&A with Wie and learn more about Water Prism for Orchestra, which the NJSO presents as part of Scores: New Orchestral Works on July 16 at 8 pm at the Richardson Auditorium in Princeton.
How did your musical/compositional journey begin?
I have played the piano since I was 6, and I played the violin for a few years from around age 9 to age 12. It was a simple theory class in high school that got me into composition. When I was applying for colleges, I needed AP credits, so I started taking music theory, and that is where I met my first composition teacher. It was my senior year in high school, and learning composition just felt right at the time—I really felt convinced that this was what I wanted to do.
What key experiences have shaped your path as a composer?
It is the people I’ve met who have shaped my path. My own teachers have been most important. I’ve admired their lives—how they look at the world and wanted to live their own, how they believed in me so much. Though I was doubtful about my own career, they were very sure I could pursue composition and be successful.
What has been your proudest experience as a composer?
I would say my most memorable moments are when people feel similar sentiments as I wanted to express in my piece—when they felt moved by it and could follow the whole structure of the piece. If I feel like I’ve contributed something to their life, that’s very memorable for me.
What attracted you to the NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute? What do you hope to gain from the experience?
This is a very special opportunity for me. I’ve never had a work performed by a major symphony orchestra. Everything I hear will be very valuable and a special moment. I always with my whole heart appreciate all the musicians who play my music, so I look forward to connecting with all the players and remembering all their faces. I’ve heard great things about the Institute from my friends who have been there.
Water Prism for Orchestra: In the Composer’s Words
Water Prism for Orchestra is inspired by the phenomenon in which light passes through a prism, forming a rainbow. Prism separates white light and refracts it to form the colors of rainbow. This composition begins with short notes with simple harmonies, which become longer and longer in length and grow into more complex harmonies, as the light is separated into many different colors through the prism. Longer notes eventually evolve into melodies, creating the greatest color and brilliance.
About the Composer
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Jung Yoon Wie’s works have been performed by leading ensembles in notable venues. Her chamber orchestra work Flying in Winter was performed by the Grammy Award-winning Cleveland Chamber Symphony in 2012. Her Chung-sung-gok for piano trio received an Honorable Mention at the 2012 International Sejong Music Composition Competition and was premiered at Charles E. Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music at the 2013 Bowdoin International Music Festival. Her choral work, How Beautiful is Night, was performed numerous times by the Wooster Chorus and Lisa Wong, Assistant Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. In 2015, Telephone, for string ensemble and percussion, was premiered by Avanti! String Ensemble and Magnus Lindberg in Helsinki, Finland.
An avid performer, she premiered her piano concerto, Jindo Arirang Concerto, with the Wooster Symphony Orchestra in 2014; the work received First Prize at the 2014 Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Collegiate Composers Competition and was a finalist at the 2014 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. In 2016, Wie performed the concerto again with the Wooster Symphony for the 100th-anniversary celebration of the orchestra at Symphony Space in New York City. Wie is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Michigan. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Composition/Theory under the guidance of Jack Gallagher at the College of Wooster.