Common Sense: HUI

Melissa Hui was born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. She received her D.M.A. from Yale University. Her mentors include Jacob Druckman, Earl Kim and Mel Powell. Her commissions include works for the Oregon Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (Montréal), New Music Concerts (Toronto), and a soundtrack for the Oscar-nominated NFB documentary, Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square. Her works have been performed at Gaudeamus Music Week (Amsterdam), L.A. Philharmonic's Green Umbrella series, Focus Festival and MoMA Summergarden (NYC), and by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, California EAR Unit, Esprit Orchestra (Toronto), Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, among others. Upcoming premieres and current projects include commissioned works for the Kronos Quartet, the Société de Musique Contemporaine du Quebec, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, New Millennium (NYC), Tapestry New Opera Works, and Queen of Puddings Theatre Company. Her compositions have been released on Centredisc, UMMUS and CRI. The recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship in 1997 and a Fromm Foundation commission in 2000 as well as grants from the Canada Council, Meet the Composer, and the ASCAP Foundation, she has been an Assistant Professor of Music at Stanford University since 1994.

Find out more about Melissa at
Canadian Music Centre

Solstice
Excerpt from Common Sense

"I consider, Solstice to be one of my most intimate pieces. In terms of the economy of materials (each instrument plays only a few pitches throughout) it is also one of my simplest, with silence playing a central role. The piece unfolds as one long phrase, revolving around an oboe d'amore melody inspired by the music of the hichiriki in the Japanese Gagaku court orchestra. The notes spin out in ever-widening circles, always returning home to the notes of the piano. Gradually more and more is revealed until the oboe d'amore drops out. The piccolo comes in to close the piece."

Shall We Go?
Excerpt from The Shock of the Old

"Shall We Go? is a quote from Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot. I've always liked the rhythm, the circularities, and the time-sense of Beckett's works. This title seemed appropriate.

dan BECKER