SPLICE Festival VI 2025 Concert 5 Program
featuring
SPLICE Ensemble
Friday January 24, 2025
7:00am EDT
Dalton Recital Hall, Western Michigan University
Dan VanHassel : DYSTOPIA
1. i do not belong here
2. Extricate
3. DEMONS
4. …against the machine
Chloe Liuyan Liu : Suffocating Convenience
Daniel Fawcett : The Landscape of Cryptic Visions
Anthony Donforio : Fractures/Webs
Zheng Zhou : Echoes of the Transformation
Notes
Dan VanHassel : DYSTOPIA
DYSTOPIA (2024) for trumpet, drum set, piano, and electronics was commissioned by and
dedicated to the SPLICE Ensemble and was composed mostly in the summer of 2023 and
completed in early 2024. I am very grateful for their amazing support, musicianship, and
friendship which have been integral in bringing this piece to life.
Following the pandemic I found it extremely difficult to write music for several years. Apart from one short piano piece completed in early 2021, DYSTOPIA is my first completed composition since early 2020. It is my longest piece to date (about 30 minutes), and perhaps also my most personal. I realize looking at it now that the work is a sort of emotional retrospective of the past few years, almost as if I needed to purge these feelings from my system in order to start composing again.
The form of the piece is inspired by Haydn’s Symphony #49 in F Minor “The Passion” which I first heard in the depths of the pandemic and at that moment struck me as the most beautiful and deeply affecting music I had ever heard. This symphony was part of Haydn’s “sturm und drang” period, known for its turbulent and dramatic emotions, and was composed in the archaic “sonata de chiesa” format. Rather than the typical fast, upbeat Allegro movement, it starts with a devastating and intense Adagio. The 2nd movement then suddenly shifts to a blistering and intense Allegro. The 3rd movement is a minuet (still in F minor) and the 4th a relentlessly driving Presto. This ordering of the movements creates a powerful emotional trajectory; beginning in a place of intense and drawn out emotion, followed by an incredible release of pent-up energy that only builds in intensity as the piece progresses.
DYSTOPIA’s 1st movement “i do not belong here” begins in a place of utter despair, with moody, sustained piano harmonies sharply contrasting with blunt and strangled air sounds and split-tones from the trumpet. The 2nd movement “Extricate” strikes a suddenly more upbeat and optimistic mood that slowly spirals into frantic madness. This movement’s attempt at sonata form is thwarted by the sudden return of material from the 1st movement, a relapse rather than a recapitulation. In place of the minuet, I thought of the 3rd movement as the “metal” movement. In the Classical era this was the place where a symphony became more streamlined and direct in its musical language, using a popular dance form that listeners at the time would have intuitively understood. For me, rock and metal music fills that role. This movement is titled “DEMONS” after the novel by Dostoevsky that I was reading while writing the piece. Although set in late 19th century Russia, this novel struck me as eerily prophetic of present day America, depicting a society slowly driven mad by destructive, nihilistic ideas. The final movement, “…against the machine,” is a fast-paced presto whose relentless pace is increasingly driven by the electronics.
A subtext throughout the piece is the sinister and growing influence of technology, represented by both live and fixed electronics. DYSTOPIA begins totally acoustically, with just the trumpet amplified; one small element of dissent from its surroundings. At the end of the 1st movement, live electronic processing is introduced, enhancing and extending the instruments. The 3rd movement features more elaborate processing and fixed electronic elements also begin to creep in. In the final movement, the musicians must play to a fixed electronic track created from a multi-genre collage of music sampled from various recordings. The musicians alternately try to fight or conform to the electronic track as it gradually takes over.
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Chloe Liuyan Liu : Suffocating Convenience
My dear friend Danning Lu has dedicated her research to environmental sustainability, particularly focusing on the environmental and social harms that single-use items bring. Because of her, I have also started paying more attention to the plastics present in my daily life. While plastics make our lives more convenient and seemingly cleaner, do we ever consider where all the plastics go once we discard them after a single use?
As I composed this piece, I couldn't help but think of the famous photo of a sea turtle trapped in a plastic bag. I saw this picture many years ago, and I remember feeling a deep sadness. To escape this overwhelming sadness and guilt, I forced it out of my mind, just as I did with many other stories and photos of animals falling victim to human pollution. However, Danning’s work in environmental sustainability has given me the courage to confront these harsh realities. Facing the truth is the first step toward making meaningful changes.
The sea turtle was freely swimming in the ocean until it got caught in the plastic bag and suffocated. One day, we could all find ourselves in the position of that sea turtle. The convenience we tirelessly pursue is suffocating us.
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Daniel Fawcett : The Landscape of Cryptic Visions
The Landscape of Cryptic Visions, written for SPLICE Ensemble, originally began as a series of short, interconnected works pairing a single instrument with various forms of electronic media. These works were meant as projects seeking to explore small-scale forms, as well as the work of various poets, including Paul Cameron Brown (1941-). What drew me to Brown's poetry was how it's enigmatic, yet alluring imagery lent itself to a multimedia setting and how it's timeless quality still spoke to me in a modern context. The addition of the unique sonic possibilities offered through SPLICE Ensemble allowed for the creation of connected vignettes as a way to explore the unique imagery and tone found in various works from this poet's expansive collection.
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Anthony Donforio : Fractures/Webs
In 2016, I wrote an evening-length piece that applied my observations of water droplets on a block of unfired porcelain. That piece's structure and content was based on the changes in the block up to the point of fracture.
In Fractures/Webs, the structure on content shifts to a series of interpretations and tiny meditations on the actual point of fracture in the block.
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Zheng Zhou : Echoes of the Transformation
Echoes of Transformation is a sophisticated exploration of the interplay between acoustic instruments and electronics, crafting a sonic journey through contrasting musical landscapes. This five-part electroacoustic work delves into the dialectics of sound—where melody meets texture, fast meets slow, and the organic merges with the digital. Trumpet, piano, snare drum, and electronics unite to form a richly textured sound world, constantly evolving in dynamic interplay. The composition evokes a sense of fluid transformation, with each movement embodying a unique growth stage, turbulence, introspection, and resolution.
I. Emergence
The piece begins with delicate, fragmented piano motifs, gradually intertwined with electronic textures. The electronics subtly shadow the acoustic sounds, suggesting the organic growth of natural elements. The trumpet adds harmonic layers, while the snare drum punctuates with occasional rhythmic accents, creating a contemplative atmosphere that evokes the beginning of a transformation.
II. Turbulence
In contrast to the tranquil opening, this movement introduces fast, energetic rhythmic patterns between the piano and snare drum, with the trumpet cutting through the texture. Through real-time processing, electronics capture and reshape the acoustic sounds, forming swirling, unpredictable digital patterns. This section reflects the chaotic forces of change, where layers build tension and complexity, symbolizing the turbulent energy that drives transformation.
III. Reflection
The pace slows as the piece moves into a more reflective space. Soft, sustained harmonies on the piano are delicately interrupted by electronic manipulations, creating an uneasy balance between calm and disruption. The trumpet introduces a lyrical, meditative line, while the electronics transform the acoustic sounds into distant echoes using reverb and delay, suggesting a contemplative reflection on the transformative process.
IV. Recurrence
Rhythmic patterns from earlier resurface with heightened intensity, but this time, the interaction between electronics and acoustic instruments becomes even more intertwined. The snare drum drives the rhythmic momentum forward, while electronics manipulate the acoustic timbres, continually reshaping them in real time. The trumpet and piano revisit earlier motifs, representing a cyclical recurrence of transformative forces, blending the acoustic and digital worlds into an intricate dialogue.
V. Resolution
The final movement draws from earlier motifs, but now in a softened, reflective form. Electronics provide a subtle, atmospheric backdrop, with the trumpet and piano offering sustained, contemplative harmonies. The electronics, through techniques such as reverse processing and delay, blend with the acoustic instruments to create a unified, serene soundscape. The piece closes on a note of balance, suggesting that transformation, though turbulent, ultimately leads to harmony.
Throughout the piece, advanced digital processing techniques, including EQ, delay, granular synthesis, and reverb, shape the electronic landscape. These electronics transform the acoustic instruments, offering a constantly shifting perspective on the relationship between natural and artificial elements, and drawing attention to the idea that transformation is both an internal and external process—fluid, inevitable, and ever-evolving.
Performance Note: To ensure continuity and fluidity in the performance, the five sections of the piece should be played without any pauses.
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Bios
SPLICE Ensemble is a trumpet, piano, and percussion trio focused on cultivating a canon of electroacoustic chamber music. Called a “sonic foodfight” by Jazz Weekly, SPLICE Ensemble works with composers and performers on performance practice techniques for collaboration and integrating electronics into a traditional performance space. The resident ensemble of both SPLICE Institute and SPLICE Festival, SPLICE Ensemble has been a featured ensemble at M Woods in Beijing, SEAMUS, the Electroacoustic Barn Dance, SCI National, Electronic Music Midwest, and New Music Detroit’s Strange Beautiful Music 10. They have recorded on both the SEAMUS and Parma Labels.
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The music of composer/performer Anthony Donofrio questions ideas of linearity, subjectivity, and formal structure. Fascinated with how music intersects with all fields of creativity – especially literature, film, and painting – Anthony’s music is introspective, patient, fragile, and conflicted.
Their work has been featured on numerous festivals, conferences, and symposiums, including the Darmstadt Summer Courses, the Prague Quiet Music Festival, the World Saxophone Congress, SEAMUS National Conference, the Bowling Green State University New Music Festival, the Deep Listening Institute Conference, and others.
Anthony has received commissions from the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music, the Western Illinois New Music Festival, Music Teachers National Association, and from soloists and ensembles such as soprano Liz Pearse, pianists Ashlee Mack, Amy O’Dell, and Stacey Barelos, percussionist Aaron Michael Butler, harpist Ben Melsky, double bassist James Ilgenfritz, and clarinet/piano duo Duo Per Se. National and international performances include the International Contemporary Ensemble, the S.E.M. Ensemble, Longleash Piano Trio, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, and Duo Harpwerk, among others.
Specializing in concert-length works, Anthony’s catalog includes chamber pieces, works for instruments with electronics (both live and fixed media), and large ensemble works for orchestra and concert band. These works can be heard on Edition Wandelweiser Records, Sawyer Editions, Centaur Records, and August Two Editions.
As an educator, Anthony teaches composition, theory, and directs the new music ensemble at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. In addition, Anthony is also the director of the UNK New Music Series and Festival, which brings specialists in contemporary music to central Nebraska to present recitals, master classes, and lectures.
Anthony holds a Ph.D. in Music Composition from the University of Iowa; past teachers include Frank Wiley, David Gompper, Paul Schoenfield, and John Eaton. When spare time exists, Anthony enjoys book collecting, studying occultism, and cooking.
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Daniel Fawcett (b.1991) is a composer, cellist, visual artist and instrument builder from the United States. He is a graduate of New York University’s Steinhardt School with a M.M. degree in music composition where he studied privately with Joan La Barbara and Morton Subotnick. Prior to this, he completed his B.M. studies at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts, studying with Stacy Garrop and Kyong Mee Choi.
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Chloe Liuyan Liu is a composer who earned her Master of Music in Music Composition from
Indiana University in May 2023, following her Bachelor of Music in Composition at Wheaton
College in 2021. She achieved recognition by winning the special prize at the 4th Ise-Shima
International Composition Competition, the Global Music Award, the Schultheis Composition
Competition Award, and the Josephine Halvorsen Memorial Composition Prize. She also
received third place in the 2024 American Prize (Vocal Chamber Division). Liu has studied
composition under mentors such as Shawn Okpebeholo, Xavier Beteta, David Dzubay, Annie
Gosfield, and Han Lash. She also pursued a minor in computer music under the direction of John Gibson and Chi Wang. During her time at Indiana University, she focused on interactive music with data-driven instruments for her computer music compositions. Outside of academia, she composes Chinese pop music and soundtracks for short films and games.
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The music of composer and multi-instrumentalist Dan VanHassel has been described as “energizing” (Wall Street Journal), “a refreshing direction” (I Care If You Listen), and “an imaginative and rewarding soundscape” (San Francisco Classical Voice). His works create a uniquely evocative sound world drawing from a background in rock and heavy metal, Indonesian gamelan, free improvisation, and classical music.
VanHassel’s compositions have been featured at top national and international contemporary music festivals, including the MATA Festival, Gaudeamus Music Week, International Computer Music Conference, Bowling Green New Music Festival, UnCaged Toy Piano Festival, Shanghai Conservatory Electronic Music Week, and the Bang on a Can Summer Festival. His music is played regularly all over the world by ensembles and performers such as the Talea Ensemble, Dinosaur Annex, pianist Jihye Chang, Verdant Vibes, Keuris Saxophone Quartet, Transient Canvas, pianist Gloria Cheng, Symphony Number One, Red Fish Blue Fish, Empyrean Ensemble, Hotel Elefant, the Boston Percussion Group, Ensemble Pamplemousse, and the UC Santa Cruz Wind Ensemble. Recordings of his works are featured on albums by the Now Hear Ensemble and Ignition Duo, as well as releases on the New Focus, Soundset, and Thinking OutLoud labels.
VanHassel was awarded a Live Arts Boston grant from the Boston Foundation, as well as commissions from Chamber Music America, the Barlow Endowment, and the Johnstone Fund for New Music. As an electric guitarist, VanHassel has performed with leading contemporary ensembles including the Callithumpian Consort, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Eco Ensemble, and Kadence Arts. He was a founding member and artistic director of contemporary chamber ensemble Wild Rumpus in San Francisco until 2016, and is the founder and executive director of the Boston-based Hinge Quartet.
VanHassel received degrees in composition from the University of California, Berkeley,
New England Conservatory, and Carnegie Mellon University. He has taught
composition and electronic music at: MIT, Brandeis University, UC Berkeley, Clark
University, and Connecticut College and is currently Assistant Professor of
Composition at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
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Dr. Zheng Zhou (b. 1992) is a composer, songwriter, and Di-zi (Chinese bamboo flute) player whose music has been performed globally, including in the United States, Europe, and China, etc. He has worked with ensembles from different regions, such as Utah Philharmonia, DuselForty58, PHACE, NOVA, Fear No Music, etc. Dr. Zhou’s music is multicultural, employing various elements of different genres. He also absorbs compositional ideas from vivid images of the world around him. Dr. Zhou has been working on the composition and research of “visual-musical combination” and “electroacoustic music with cultural diversity.” His works have been published by Universal Edition, UCLA Music Library, China Scientific & Cultural Audio-video Publishing Co., Ltd, and Central China Normal University Publishing Company.
Dr. Zhou was selected as winner of The American Prize in Composition, 2023, in the professional orchestra division, for his piece Loess for Orchestra and Live Multimedia. His string quartet, Glen Echo (2020), was published on the official site of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA), in which he was interviewed by UMFA and the “@theU” Newsletter at the University of Utah. He also participated in an interdisciplinary collaboration regarding climate change at the University of Utah, “Artivism for Earth,” in which he composed a sextet piece, Reflection (2021). Dr. Zhou holds a degree in musicology from China University of Mining and Technology (B.A.) and music composition from California State University, Northridge (M.M.). In 2022, Dr. Zhou received his Ph.D. in music composition from the University of Utah, where he also served as an instructor of record in musicianship/theory areas and the president of the University Composers Collective. Currently, Dr. Zhou is an Assistant Professor of Music Composition at the School of Music at Central China Normal University.
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