Jae Hong Lee (b.1973) - Nocturne (world premiere)

Upon hearing Mahler's Symphony No. 7, which is often referred to as "night music", I found within it optimistic and pessimistic elements. I feel it is in a romantic mood, like nocturnes by Chopin, and that it talks about fear and despair when one is enveloped in darkness. My nocturne focuses on the second idea. When I was a child, I did not like walk alone far from my home at night because I felt that there were ghosts or bad people around dark corners. I sensed the tiny sounds that cold winds and cats made behind me and the beating of my heart was increased by the fear. My nocturne is divided into two sections. In the first part, a solo viola presents the fear of the young child. Overall, metallic sounds from the tam-tam and gongs conjure up the image of cold atmosphere and winds at night. In the second part, new materials are added as the flute becomes the main character, with reminiscent music recurring from the first part. ABOUT THE COMPOSER: JAE HONG LEE Jae Hong Lee was born in Seoul, Korea. He earned his Masters of Arts degree from Queens College of City University of New York and Bachelor's degree from Seoul National University. He is currently in his third year in the PhD programme with Professor Philip Grange at the University of Manchester.