King of Prussia, PA – The sparklingly inventive variations in Chen Yi’s newest piano solo work, Variations on “Awariguli,” (110-41790 — $9.95) are based on the Chinese folk song “Awariguli,” the name of a beautiful girl from the Uygur ethnic minority in Xinjiang. This piece was written during the composer’s freshman year at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and premiered by her sister Chen Min in October 1979. While the theme, 9 variations, and dramatic coda are somewhat traditional in structure, they clearly enjoy Chen Yi’s fascinating mix of Western and Chinese musical flavor. For intermediate to advanced players.

As a Distinguished Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, a prolific composer and recipient of the prestigious Charles Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2001-04), Chen Yi blends Chinese and Western traditions, transcending cultural and musical boundaries. Through doing so, she serves as an ambassador to the arts, creating music that reaches a wide range of audiences, inspiring people with different cultural backgrounds throughout the world. Chen Yi's music has been commissioned by Yehudi Menuhin, Yo-Yo Ma, Evelyn Glennie, the Cleveland Orchestra, the BBC, the Seattle, Pacific, and Singapore Symphonies, the Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet and Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, and more. To find out more about Chen Yi, click here.

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