Monk (2014) by Shiuan Chang
for flute, clarinet, piano, and cello
West Coast premiere; 2015 Earplay Donald Aird Composers Competition winner

A monk is a legend in every Asian’s fantasy. Monks meditate everyday but also train very hard and do martial arts. The most famous monks are from Shaolin sect. Martial art is not only about fighting, fighting is actually the last thing monks would encounter. Monks try to understand the world through meditation, chanting, and giving kindness. The most important martial art characteristics are "Balance" and Yin-Yang. Yin-Yang could refer to any opposites: common examples would be life / death or light / dark.

In this piece, I’m taking passages, structures, and even pitches into consideration of the comparison of Yin-Yang, and I want to offer the audience the feeling of "Balance".