Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Canada

Birth

:

in Hong Kong

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Melissa Hui is a Canadian composer who was born on December 16, 1966, in Hong Kong. She grew up in Vancouver, Canada, where she began her musical studies at a young age. Hui's parents were both music lovers, and they encouraged her to pursue her passion for music. She started playing the piano when she was five years old and later learned to play the violin and the flute. Hui attended the University of British Columbia, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in composition. She then went on to study at the University of California, San Diego, where she received a Master of Arts degree in composition. Hui continued her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition. Hui's music is characterized by its complexity and its use of unconventional techniques. She is known for her use of extended techniques, such as playing inside the piano, and for her incorporation of non-Western musical traditions into her compositions. Hui's music is also influenced by her interest in literature and poetry, and many of her works are inspired by literary works. One of Hui's early works is her String Quartet No. 1, which was composed in 1991. The piece is characterized by its use of unconventional techniques, such as playing the strings with a bow held upside down. The quartet was well-received and was performed at the Vancouver New Music Festival in 1992. Hui's music continued to gain recognition, and in 1995, she was awarded the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music for her work, The T'ang Quartets. The piece is a set of four string quartets that are inspired by the poetry of the Tang Dynasty in China. The T'ang Quartets is characterized by its use of non-Western scales and rhythms and its incorporation of Chinese instruments, such as the pipa and the erhu. In 1997, Hui composed her first opera, The Witch of Portobello, which is based on the novel of the same name by Paulo Coelho. The opera was commissioned by the Canadian Opera Company and was premiered in Toronto in 1998. The Witch of Portobello is characterized by its use of electronic music and its incorporation of Middle Eastern musical traditions. Hui's music continued to gain recognition, and in 2002, she was awarded the Canada Council for the Arts' Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award for her contributions to Canadian music. In 2004, Hui composed her second opera, The Charcoal Seller, which is based on a play by the Chinese playwright Lao She. The opera was premiered in Vancouver in 2005 and was well-received by audiences and critics alike. Hui's music has been performed by many prominent ensembles and orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and the Kronos Quartet. Her works have been featured at many music festivals, including the Vancouver New Music Festival, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, and the Bang on a Can Marathon. In addition to her work as a composer, Hui is also a professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley. She has taught composition and music theory at the university since 1997 and has mentored many young composers. Overall, Melissa Hui is a highly respected composer who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. Her music is characterized by its complexity, its use of unconventional techniques, and its incorporation of non-Western musical traditions.

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