Chai Found 2009 Sizhu Composition Contest / Concert

Chai Found 2009 Sizhu Composition Contest / Concert

General Information

Chai Found Music Workshop is proud to present its most recent project of Contemporary Music with 8 world premieres by 4 Taiwanese and 4 European composers. The theme of this cross-cultural musical production is Wu Xing, the five elements or phases in traditional Chinese philosophy.

A competition for composers will be held. The Taiwan part is conducted by the Taiwanese section of the ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) and Chai Found Music Workshop. The International part is conducted by Chai Found Music Workshop alone.

The concert of Wu Xing will present the selected compositions from 4 Taiwanese and 4 European composers. It will take place on November 28, 2009 at Forum Music in Taipei. The music will be recorded and published as a CD.

The instrumentation includes the instruments of a classic Sizhu (Silk and Bamboo) Music ensemble: Erhu (Chinese Violin), Di (Chinese Bamboo Flutes), Pipa (Chinese lute), Gucheng (Chinese Zither), Yangqin (Chinese Dulcimer), Ruan (Chinese Guitar)/ Liuqin (Chinese Ukulele), plus the Chinese mouth organ Sheng.

International Competition

1 Purpose
The international competition of Wu Xing is hosted by Chai Found Music Workshop. The purpose is to motivate contemporary composers to write for Chinese instruments and to enhance communication between the composers and the performing ensemble.

2 Qualification
There is no age limit. Citizens of the European Union can apply.

3 Theme
The compositions must be new creations, and/or never performed before. The compositions are related to the theme ‘Wu Xing’ (the 5 ancient Chinese elements). The formulation of this relationship is up to the composer.

4 Prizes
There is no ranking in prizes. Each of the 4 winners will receive a commission of 350 Euro. The concert of Wu Xing will present the winning compositions of 4 Taiwanese and 4 European composers. It will take place on November 28, 2009 at Forum Music in Taipei. The music will be recorded and published as a CD. Each composer will receive 10 samples of the Audio CD.

5 Instrumentation and Duration
The instrumentation has to include at least 3 up to 7 of the instruments of a Sizhu (Silk and Bamboo) Music ensemble: Erhu (Chinese Violin), Di (Chinese Bamboo Flutes), Pipa (Chinese lute), Gucheng (Chinese Zither), Yangqin (Chinese Dulcimer), Ruan (Chinese Guitar)/ Liuqin (Chinese Ukulele), plus the Chinese mouth organ Sheng. The duration has to be not less than 8 minutes, and not more than 12 minutes.

6 Procedure
- The deadline for handing in the compositions is October 1st, 2009.

- The compositions have to be sent as a printable pdf-files (scores and parts) to promotion@cfmw.com.tw.

- The reception of the documents will be confirmed by Chai Found Music Workshop. Chai Found Music Workshop will go through and play all submitted works to select the
4 winners.

- The winners will be notified on November 1, 2009 and their names will be published on the Chai Found Music Workshop website www.cfmw.com.tw

7 How to apply
Please refer to the application form.

Feel free to contact us by phone under +886-2-25024960 Mr. Klaus Bru or write an email to promotion@cfmw.com.tw.

Please also visit our website for more information: www.cfmw.com.tw

What is Wu Xing

Wu Xing (“five elements”, or rather “five phases”) is an ancient Chinese model for describing nature or ‘the way the world works’. Wu Xing is an integral part of Taoistic philosophy and explains the ever-changing interactions and relationships between phenomena of nature. It is not a static concept, but emphasizes processes. The idea of the 5 phases still traceable in modern Chinese society and it is omnipresent in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, in Feng Shui, and in martial arts such as Tai Chi Quan or Qi Gong.

The five elements and their ascribed phases are:

Wood (mu) - Rising, Ascension Fire (huo) - Activity, Action Earth (tu - Change, Alteration Metal (jin) - Maturity, Decay Water (shui) - Calm, Contemplation

Each of the elements is associated with various aspects of nature such as colors, directions, forms of energy, climates, seasons, planets, the 5 tones of the pentatonic scale, or even livestock. As shown in the diagram below, they are usually depicted in a circle, which forms two cycles of which one is attributed as ‘generating’, the other as ‘overcoming’. The ‘generating cycle’ (black) is like this: wood feeds fire, fire produces earth (ash), earth bears metal, metal carries water (for example in buckets), water nourishes wood. The ‘overcoming cycle’: wood (roots) parts earth, earth absorbs water, water quenches fire, fire melts metal, metal chops wood.

The concept of Wu Xing is a wide field. There are countless associations between the elements and their attributed phenomena. We decided to let you choose yourself from the plentiful of information which is available on the internet.

Here are some links from the English Wikipedia, which you can also search
in your own language.

General overview of the topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_xing

More disciplines that apply the Wu Xing concept:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching

If you find more and better information, please let us know: promotion@cfmw.com.tw

Why Wu Xing as a Theme?

The 5 phases have proven their validity over the last several millennia and have had an immeasurable impact on Chinese thought, culture, and everyday life. To most modern Chinese people, though, Wu Xing might seem ancient.

In the Western world, the attraction of Eastern philosophical and religious ideas is growing, with an increasing number of people applying them to their personal life. Often, those ideas make their way back to the East, perhaps in slightly
altered forms.

This is the starting point for the project: reflecting Chai Found Music Workshop’s interests and areas of activity, it is two-fold: a Taiwan portion and a European portion are brought together in a concert and the publishing of a CD. By involving composers from opposite ends of the world, Wu Xing aims at bridging two forms of culture.

The competition and the following concert make use of an important notion from the East, let it migrate to the West and return to its origin in a new form. Not only that, Eastern artists are given the chance for re-interpreting one of the most influential theories of their own culture. Thus, European composers can discover a new and fresh idea here, while Taiwanese composers can re-vive their own venerable cultural background. All this is done in the form of contemporary music played on the traditional instruments of Chinese music.

Just as in music, the balance between the five elements is always in motion and ever-changing, and can only be experienced with the passing of time. It will be interesting to hear, what ideas the composers will come up with: whether they take it literally or poetically, whether they focus on the cycles or on just one element, what they use, what they omit, what they emphasize, how they comment on it. Even more so, as the five elements also represent the five notes of the pentatonic scale.

Downloads

Project Information (pdf)

Instrument Information (pdf)

Application Form (doc)

Contact Information

Wu Xing
c/o Chai Found Music Workshop
2F, No. 13, Lane 295, Long Jiang Road, Taipei 104, Taiwan
Phone: +886-2-25024960
Fax: +886-2-25158533
promotion@cfmw.com.tw
www.cfmw.com.tw

Credits

Producer: Chai Found Music Workshop
Concept, Logo, Design: Klaus Bru
Translations: Jason Ying
Sponsor: ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music), Section Taiwan

http://www.cfmw.com.tw/eng/WuXing/wuxing.html