A chamber concert at Duke Kunshan University featured the works of six students making their first foray into music composition.
The compositions were performed by professional musicians — violinist Juyoung Kim and pianist Wonmin Kim — on Nov. 14 for the “Through Time with Music” concert series organized by Dr. Maximiliano Amici, assistant professor of music and composition at DKU.
Hana Ngo, Tianying Hu, Nanpu Chen, Hanxi Bao, Junyan (Tony) Li and Shijie (Bruce) Zhang wrote the short pieces for their final project of Amici’s introduction to composition course which they took last semester.
The students were placed on the concert program alongside the great composers Beethoven, Debussy and Stravinsky.
Amici described the students’ pieces for violin and piano as accomplished despite being first attempts.
“During the course, notwithstanding the fact that we started from beginner level, I challenged the students to develop a thorough artistic vision for their works,” he said.
“I am very proud of the creativity and imagination that they have shown.”
The four-credit course running last semester introduced 10 students to the theory and art of composition and aimed to expand their interest in music.
The skills required for composition can be applied well beyond the realm of music, according to Amici.
“I think studying elements of music composition offers a valuable set of transferable skills for future leaders,” he said.
“Writing music demands out-of-the-box thinking and, beyond artistic matters, is a great exercise in problem-solving and attention to detail.”
Meet the young composers
Han G. Ngo
Composition: “The Unsent Letter”
Class: Junior (’25)
Hometown: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Ngo said taking the course was a “chance to discover myself in a field I love so much but did not dare to step in”, adding that it pushed her “to experiment, to be bold, to try and make things bigger than I thought I could”.
“The class was definitely a milestone for me, considering the development I am making as a film and sound design student.
“Having my composition performed in front of people is something I could not think of one or two years ago.
“It was truly a pleasure and I really appreciate this wonderful opportunity.”
Shijie Zhang
Composition: “Dazzling Dreaming”
Class: Junior (’25)
Hometown: Shanghai, China
“Ever since childhood, my fervor for music has been confined to listening,” Zhang said.
“However, the encounter with Professor Amici’s composition class opened the doors to creating my own music.”
Zhang described each day in class as a “journey of discovery, steadily nurturing my ability to systematically craft music”.
“Being able to have my work performed alongside masterpieces by revered artists such as Beethoven, Debussy, and Stravinsky is a profound honor.”
Tianying Hu
Composition: “Lost Forest”
Class: Junior (’25)
Hometown: Suzhou, China
Hu said she felt “very honored” to have her music performed in public.
The course helped her to analyze the rational structures behind melodies, inspiring her own composition.
“The process of transforming music from sheet music to auditory experience is so exciting.
“I really appreciate that we have the chance to communicate with professional musicians.
“I experienced a lot from the whole process and have a deeper understanding about music and communication.
“I am greatly encouraged by this concert program and will keep exploring composition in the future.”
Junyan Li
Composition: “Life Story”
Class: Sophomore (’26)
Hometown: Qingdao, China
Li said the composition overview provided by the course built on the music theory he had learned in a previous class.
“Through several rounds of revisions, my piece improved a lot under Prof. Max’s guidance, as well as my own creativity.
“This is the first time my piece was performed publicly with so many people in the audience.
“As I aspire to become a composer in the future, I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity. It really feels like a dream come true to me.”
Nanpu Chen
Composition: “Description for Adventure Game”
Class: Junior (’25)
Hometown: Yongzhou, China
Chen said the course helped “unleash my imagination and creativity more confidently and freely”.
He said Amici encouraged the class to think about using dynamic and articulation notations to better express emotions in music, which was then performed in class by visiting musicians.
“For the first time I was given the opportunity to listen to real life performances of my composition works, which is always enjoyable as you could see and hear how your efforts in creation are interpreted and presented by others.”
Hanxi Bao
Composition: “La Primavera”
Class: Junior (’25)
Hometown: Hangzhou, China
Bao said that the composition course helped improve her understanding of music.
“Although this class did not focus on music theory in particular, the knowledge we went through was very helpful,” she said.
“The exercises we did as homework gave me tools for further exploration in composition. I was also amazed that our music got to be performed publicly.”
