Yu Man Ching is a contemporary classical music composer and pianist. He is one of the few living composers who frequently premiere own works as a pianist in public. Being one of the most prolific composers in Hong Kong, since early age he has composed over hundreds original works . The stylistic trait of his recent works are characterized by the intermingling of the lyrical language of atonality, diatonic materials, and Chinese color.

Biography

Born in 1980, Yu already started learning piano, theory, conducting and composition at an early age in Hong Kong. At the age of 16, he made his debut twice as a piano soloist with Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra. He further received his musical training in the United States, earning a Bachelor of Music degree from Baylor University as well as later studying at Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in Europe. In 2010 he completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree in composition and music theory at Hong Kong Baptist University, with the music theory dissertation, “The Pitch-class Formation of Joseph Schwantner's Distant Runes and Incantations." Since early age, he started premiering his own music as a pianist or collaborative pianist locally and overseas as well as recently he began to conduct his own pieces in public. Since 2000 he received various scholarships, fellowships, commissions, and awards for his frequent compositional performances and achievements.

Yu is quite prolific and has composed over hundreds scores in various genres ranging from chamber instrumental to symphonic works. Most of the pieces have been frequently and actively performed internationally at various events, festivals, and conferences throughout the United States, South America, Australia, Asia, and Europe including the recent 17th International Festival of Modern Art: Two Days and Two Nights of New Music at the Odessa Philharmonic Theater

Odessa Philharmonic Theater

Odessa's Philharmonic Theatre is a theater in Odessa, Ukraine. The design resembles the Doge's Palace in Venice.-History:The foundation stone for the theater was laid September 3, 1894, a day after Odessa's one-hundred-year birthday. The building was intended as the new stock exchange, or "New...

 (the Ukrainian Section of the International Society of Contemporary Music). In 2010 Yu also received international acclaim with the performances of his First Symphony which was premiered by the Lugansk Academic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra at the Lugansk Philharmonic Hall and his Apocalypse for orchestra was premiered by the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra at the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Hall

Chernivtsi Philharmonic Hall

Chernivtsi Philharmonic Hall is part of the network of state philharmonic halls in Ukraine located in the central part of Chernivtsi, Ukraine.- Original hall :...

 while Yu is the first Hong Kong composer whose works were premiered by the orchestras at those venues. Yu has also received awards, commissions and/or performances from Opera Hong Kong Chorus, the Choral Fellows of the Harvard University Choir, Duo46

Duo46

The American ensemble Duo46 was established in 1994 in Tucson, Arizona by guitarist Matt Gould and violinist Beth Ilana Schneider. Since then, they have emerged through their commissioning, performing around the world, recording and teaching as a leading advocate of 20th- and 21st-century chamber...

, Onondaga Civic Symphony Orchestra, Equinox Trio, the New Score Chamber Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, Ithaca College

Ithaca College

Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...

, ASCAP, Sir Edward Youde Memorial Council and many others. Among other major venues where his works have been premiered include the world-renowned Universität Mozarteum Salzburg

Universität Mozarteum Salzburg

In Salzburg, the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg, the University of Music and Dramatic Arts Mozarteum Salzburg, honours the Austrian city's most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.-History:...

, the Lviv Conservatory

Lviv Conservatory

The Lviv National Musical Academy, M. Lysenko is a state conservatory of Ukraine based in Lviv.-History:...

, Harvard University and many others. Yu's music has been published by Edizioni Sconfinarte in Italy and Zimbel Press in Massachusetts. His music recordings are released by Zimbel Records, featuring the performances of his own music as a pianist.

Yu is also the founder and artistic director of the Hong Kong Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, starting appearing as a conductor and conducting his own music in public recently. From 2012 Yu is named the composer-in-residence of the Hong Kong Tuen Mun Children Choir.

Works

• Cantabile" for Violin (1999)
• Sonata No.1 "Grand Concert Fantasy" for Piano (1999)
• String Quartet in Eb (1999)
• Brilliant Humorous Waltz for Piano (2000)
• Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (2000)
• “Zwei Rosen” for Baritone and Piano (2000)
• Dialogue for Two Violins (2000)
• Song without Words for Piano (2000)
• Sonata No.2 "Humoresque" for Piano (2000)
• "Ode On Nature" for Soprano and Piano (2001)
• Five Japanese Lyrics for Soprano and Piano (2001)
• Concert Rhapsody for Violin and Piano (2001)
• Autumn Elegy for Violin and Piano (2001)
• Four Souvenirs for Wind Quintet (2001)
• Fuga for String Quartet (2001)
• Five Miniatures for Piano (2001)
• Sonata No.3 "Aggressive" for Piano (2001)
• Choral: Recalling for Brass Quintet (2002)
• Black Hole for Full Orchestra (2002)
• Essay for Orchestra (2002)
• Dreamscapes for Full Orchestra (2002)
• The Lonely Heart of the Cosmos for String Orchestra (2002)
• Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra (2002)
• Quartet No.2 "Apparition" for strings (2002)
• Sonnet No.104 for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano (2002)
• Two Dramatic Art Songs for soprano and piano(2002)
• Quartet No.1 "Four Seasonal Sketches" for strings (2002)
• Sonata No.4 "Chaos" for Piano (2002)
• Rhapsodic Sonata for Flute and Piano (2003)
• Sonata No.5 "Ionization" for Piano (2003)
• Hell and Heaven for Piano (2003)
• Two Incidental Fantasies for Orchestra (2002)
• Ten Variations on a Chinese Folk Song "Home-sickness" for Piano (2003)
• Dark Rhapsody for Cello and Piano (2003)
• Fantasy on "The Lady of Shalott for Piano (2003)
• Toccata for Piano (2003)
• Mesto Fugue for Chamber String Orchestra (2003)
• Illusion for Oboe and Piano (2003)
• Two Pieces for Clarinet Solo (2004)
• Uncertainty for Piano (2004)
• Duet "Argument" for Violin and Cello (2004)
• Vier Kleine Klavier Stuecke (2004)
• Brass Quartet "Solemn Elegy" for 2 Tenor Trombones and 2 Bass Trombones (2005)
• Dialogue for Oboe and Clarinet (2005)
• Caprice for viola solo (2002)
• Fanfare for Brass Quintet or orchestra (2005)
• Three Movements for String Orchestra (2005)
• Ode for Flute Solo (2005)
• Shivering for Double Bass Solo (2005)
• Psalm No. 63 for chorus SSA and piano (2005)
• Recalling from Dream for Trumpet and Piano (2005)
• Imaginary Conversation for Violin and Piano (2005)
• Lyric Sketch No. 1: The Art of Fugue for four instruments (2005)
• Romantic light piece for violin and piano (2006)
• Romantic Light piece No. 2 for cello and piano (2006)
• Etude "Birds" for Piano (2006)
• "Zwei Lyrisches Intermezzo" for soprano and piano (2006)
• Toccata fantastique for organ (2006)
• Meditation for organ (2006)
• Mystical Aria for organ (2006)
• Anthem 'Our Father for A cappella SATB (2006)
• Concert Overture "Hong Kong Night Scene's Sketch for orchestra (2006)
• Film Score "When Spring Again" (2006)
• Preludes No. 1-12 for organ (2006)
• Frankenstein for organ/piano and cello (2006)
• The Persistence of Memory for orchestra (2006)
• "Echo" for solo oboe or solo flute (2006)
• Hamlet's Aria "To Be or Not To Be" for violin/viola/cello and piano (2006)
• Opera "hamlet" Act 1 Scene 1 (2006)
• Reflections for Trombone Choir (2006)
• In Memoriam J.S. Bach for harpsichord (2006)
• Concert Aria "To be or not to be for baritone and piano (2006)
• Two Chinese Poems by Ya Hsien for piano and baritone (2007)
• Explosion for piano (2007)
• O Virtus Sapientiae for SATB A Cappella (2007)
• Organic Synthesis for piano (2007)
• The Morning for Soprano/Baritone and piano (2007)
• Collect Beads Of Night for Soprano/Baritone and piano (2007)
• With a Flower for Soprano/Baritone and piano (2007)
• A Polish Poem: Everything for Soprano and piano (2007)
• Imaginary Conversation II for Cello and Piano (2007)
• Nebula for Organ and Chamber Orchestra (2007)
• Three Characteristic Pieces for 4-hands piano duet (2007)
• The Refraction of Shadow for trombone and piano (2007)
• I used up this body for soprano and piano (2007)
• Starlight for soprano and piano (2007)
• Xin Yu "The Deepest voice of My Heart" for baritone and piano (2007)
• qiu zhi shi luo "The Suffering in Autumn" for soprano and piano (2007)
• Wen Tian "Inquiring the Sky" for soprano and piano (2007)
• yang ming shan ye you "Wandering at the Yang Ming Mountain" for soprano and piano (2007)
• Yuan Yang Gan Jue "The Feeling of the Far Ocean" for baritone and piano (2007)
• Si Wang Hang Xing "The Voyage of Death" for baritone and piano (2007)
• De Ceng Yin "The Recitation of the Stratum" for baritone and piano (2007)
• Ge "Song" for baritone and piano (2007)
• Zao Chen "The Morning" for baritone and piano (2007)
• Hallucination for Piano (2008)
• Brilliant Variations and Fantasy on a Chinese folk tune "Qindao" for violin and piano (2008)
• Creation for tenor and piano (2008)
• Praying for tenor and piano (2008)
• Creation for tenor and piano (2008)
• The Shadow of Dream for tenor and piano (2008)
• Disintegration for piano and tape (2008)
• Three Bagatelles for violin and organ (2008)
• Requiem Aeternam for SATB Mixed Choir and piano (2008)
• Five Poems by Yosano Akiko" for soprano and piano (2008)
• Duo for cello and piano (2008)
• First Symphony for orchestra (2008)
• Psalm 23 for tenor, soprano and piano (2008)
• Octet for strings (2008)
• Oculus Non Vidit for SATB Mixed Choir (2008)
• Lamentation for cello and piano (2009)
• The Maximum Speed of Raphael's Madonna for flute and piano (2009)
• Apocalypse for orchestra (2009)
• Three Collection Lyrical Sensual Poems for mezzo-soprano and piano (2009)
• A Chamber Opera "the Death of the Hired Man" for tenor, mezzo-soprano and piano (2009)
• Requiem
  Requiem
  A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
  
   Mass for soprano, tenor, mezzo-soprano, bass solo, SATB mixed choir and piano (2009)
• Piano Trio No.1 "Moody Rain" for cello, flute and piano (2009)
• Primordial for piano quintet (2009)
• Nine Dragons for piano (2010)
• The Vermilion Bird for violin and piano (2010)
• Recede and Surge for clarinet and piano (2010)
• Two Sacred Songs for soprano and piano (2010)
• Revelation Fantasy for chamber organ (2010)
• Wind and Rain for erhu and piano (2010)
• Jubilee Song for orchestra (Arrangement)(2010)
• From the Depth for SATB mixed choir and chamber orchestra(2010)
• Chun(Spring) for erhu, xiao and qin(2010)
• Contemplation for piano(2010)
• Three Children Pieces for piano(2010)
• Fancy for solo violin/viola(2010)
• Secret for solo violin(2011)
• Breeze for solo flute(2011)
• Hymn of Praise for SSA choir and piano(2011)
• Drinking Alone Under the Moon for Mezzo-soprano and piano(2011)
• Air for orchestra(2011)
• First Piano Concerto for piano and chamber orchestra(2011)
• Symphony no. 2 "World" for chorus, soloists and orchestra(2011)
• On Hearing a Monk from Shu Playing His Lute for Chinese ensemble(2011)
• Clouds in my Dream for piano and electronics(2011)
• Quantum Mysticism for piano(2011)
• On Phoenix Terrace for xiao and piano(2011)
• Bloom for xiao, Taegum and Shakuhachi(2011)
• Sunset In my Homeland for violin, clarinet and piano(2011)

Publications

• Breeze for flute (Italy: Edizioni Sconfinarte, New Music Without Borders series II)

• Secret for violin (Italy: Edizioni Sconfinarte, New Music Without Borders series I)

• Nocturnal Reflection for flute and piano (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 426)

• Nebula for organ and chamber orchestra (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 416)

• Octet for strings (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 417)

• Three Bagatelles for violin and organ (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 409)

• Duo for cello and piano (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 408)

• Requiem Aeternam for SATB choir and piano(Wehr's Music House. WM No. 403)

• Reflection for Trombone Choir(Wehr's Music House. WM No. 391)

• The Refraction of Shadow (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 397)

• Xin Yu for baritone and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• Qiu Zhi Shi Luo for soprano and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• Wen Tian for soprano and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• Yang Ming Shan Ye You for soprano and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• Yuan Yuang Gan Jue for baritone and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• Si Wang Hang Xing for baritone and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• De Ceng Yin for baritone and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• Ge for baritone and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• Zao Chen for baritone and piano (The New World Book Center Company)

• Three Organ Pieces: Meditation, Mystical Aria, Toccata Fantastique (Zimbel Press No. 80101246)

• Our Father "The Lord's Prayer" for SATB (Zimbel Press No. 80101263)

• O Virtus Sapientiae for SATB(Zimbel Press No. 80101264)

• Oculus non vidit for SATB(Zimbel Press No. 80101277)

• Recalling from Dream for trumpet and piano (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 345)

• Trombone Quartet "Solemn Elegy" (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 365)

• Horn Quartet "Solemn Elegy" (Wehr's Music House. WM No. 358)

• Psalm no. 23 for high voice and low voice(HK Church Music Service Limited)

Discography

• Sonata No. 1 "Grand Concert Fantasy" for piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Sonata No. 2 "Humoresque" for piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Sonata No. 4 "Chaos" for piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Hell and Heaven for piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Dark Rhapsody for cello and piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Illusion for oboe and piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Five Japanese Lyrics for soprano and piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Uncertainty for piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Fantasy on "The Lady of Shalott" for piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• Five Miniatures for piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

• William Shakespeare's Sonnet No. 104 for piano (Zimbel Records No. 113)

Sources

• Straus, Joseph. Introduction to Post-tonal Theory (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005)
• Zhao, Xiao Sheng. Tai Chi Compositional System (Shan Hai Publishing House, 1990)

External links

• Yu page at Society of Composers
• Yu page at Zimbel Press
• Yu page at CD Baby
  CD Baby
  CD Baby is an online music store specializing in the sale of CDs and digital music downloads from independent musicians to consumers. The company is also a digital aggregator of independent music recordings, distributing content to several online digital music retailers.CD Baby has achieved recent...
  
  
• Yu page at Classical Composers Database
• Yu page at Classical Archives
  Classical Archives
  Classical Archives is an online digital music store focused exclusively on classical music. Originally opening as the Classical MIDI Archives in 1994 primarily as a repository for free MIDI sequences of classical music works, in August, 2000 the site incorporated as Classical Archives, LLC, and...
  
  
• 2006 Hong Kong Baptist University's Electronic News(Chinese and English)
• 2010 Hong Kong Baptist University's Electronic News(Chinese and English)