Yu-Ling Chiu and 相見歡 (Joy at Meeting)

    ByWillem van Merwijk

    Last Thursday another piece premiered at a Master Recital. This time by Yu-Ling Chiu at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, one of the best mallet-players I ever heard. She helped me and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble out when two years ago we performed a one and a half hour version of Wagner’s Ring (my arrangement). The marimba-parts were so difficult that the percussionist we had invited had to give the parts back two weeks before the premiere date. Yu-Ling stepped in and did the impossible….. I then promised to write her a piece for her Master Recital.
    Yu-Ling is from Taiwan and on my request came up with a famous poem by Li Yu (937-978) : 相見歡 (Joy at meeting).
    I was there to see her perform an exceptional Master Recital (and a wonderful performance of my piece; hope to post that soon!) and like Marijn four days earlier her Recital was rewarded with the grade Excellent and a Cum Laude….Congratulations Yu-Ling!
    (means that this year at least three students performing my music got a Cum Laude at their Master Recitals, Paulina Kulesza performing ‘Consecuencias’ beginning of June…)

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