In this issue of our Leading Composer Series, pianist Natalia Kazaryan interviews the Juno Award-winning composer Vivian Fung. Covering topics from creative philosophy, to what happens in the creative process, to life at Juilliard, and what’s on her playlist right now. Remember you can catch up on other interviews in this series featuring Jennifer Higdon, Gabriela Lena Frank, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Missy Mazzoli.

Natalia Kazaryan: You embrace a wide musical soundscape, influenced by your heritage, as well as your extensive ethnomusicological research. Can you describe your creative philosophy, and what kind of impact your travels and research have had on your music.

Vivian Fung: I write because I want to process and understand my world, my family, and my family history. I often have a hard time expressing sentiments verbally, but somehow the creative process takes me into a deeper discovery of humanity, with all its complex, often conflicting emotions and themes. Traveling (and especially traveling to places where my ancestors lived), is important because it makes me understand different cultures and values on a whole other level. I have always been inspired by the challenge of being out of my comfort zone, and traveling often brings me into another world of discovery and wonder.

I used to be concerned about being put into a category - Asian American composer, Canadian composer, etc., but now I just write music that I feel deeply compelled to write. However, that being said, I think that it is always a good idea to be mindful if one is borrowing from some other source, and so acknowledgement and respect are really important, as is careful research about the material that inspires another piece.

NK: I’m currently working on your piece Glimpses for prepared piano, and I am discovering the hidden capabilities of an instrument that is already so versatile. What is the origin of Glimpses, and what inspired you to turn the piano into an entirely new instrument?

VF: First of all, thank you for taking on Glimpses! The first movement, Kotekan, is inspired by the technique of interlocking two complementary parts in Balinese gamelan. I was influenced by gamelan music for quite a while, and even joined a Balinese gamelan for a number of years in New York. Kotekan sought to recreate some of the timbres of gamelan on the piano; the rest of the movements also seek to simulate different evocative images or sounds - Snow uses different timbres to create a delicate palette of falling and twirling, and Chant explores the meditative world or drones and chanting as a contrast.

NK: What’s currently on your playlist?

VF: One of the projects that I recently completed is a short work titled (Un)Wandering Souls - I mention it because it was a project produced during our pandemic involving an international collaboration. It was commissioned by Metropolis Ensemble in NY and Cambodian Living Arts in Cambodia and performed by Sandbox Percussion in Brooklyn with film by Rithy Panh, an Oscar-nominated film director from Cambodia who lives in Paris and Phenom Penh, as well as Sandbox Percussion. I have an upcoming project that involves research into Cambodian history, so refer to this from time to time.

Sandbox and I have been admiring each other’s work for a while, so it was so good to finally be able to collaborate with them. I have watched this over and over and marvel at their virtuosity and intensity - Andy Akiho’s Pillar IV.

I just completed a Flute Concerto for the Vancouver Symphony, and one of the pieces I fell in love with while researching flute works was Kaija Saariaho’s Flute Concerto L’aile du Song.

I can’t be a mom and not mention something that we play in the car for my 5-year old son. He likes funny songs like anything related to Grover or Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, and he also loves Raffi. It’s funny because I grew up listening to Raffi, and his songs still resonate with the younger generation. Goes to show you that well-crafted songs never run out of style. I sometimes get a “Baby Beluga” ear worm - such a good song for our times too.

NK: If you’re ever stuck in your creative process, what do you do?

VF: I have learned through years of working that it is best not to force the creative process. I take a break - sleep definitely helps, and sometimes I am gifted with an aha! moment when I wake up in the morning. We live in California where we can go out for a walk or take a bike ride, and getting fresh air helps.

Also, this is something I tell my students - keep a reserve of ideas for your creative well. Whenever you come up with an idea, store it away or write it down, but don’t forget it. These are kernels of potential ideas that will help you in the future. That way the creative well never runs dry. Right now, my creative well is quite full!

NK: Can you tell us about your journey in creating your unique musical language? Was the educational environment at Juilliard in your formative years receptive to cultivating your non-traditional voice?

VF: I call myself a late bloomer, even though I was composing when I was 7 or 8. The reason I do that is because it took me a long time to accept myself for who I really was, and to embrace that in my work. My time at Juilliard was complicated - I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with wonderful artists and musicians, as well as to develop a wonderful craft of composing in a Western tradition, but found myself at times “lost” during those years, as I did not really have a mentor that talked to me about identity, gender, or a life in music as a female artist. It was not until I started traveling, especially my first trip to Asia - Bali, to be exact - that I realized that there are many ways of creating and nurturing a life in music.

NK: Could you describe your next project if possible?

VF: I am starting a wonderful project - librettist Royce Vavrek approached me with the idea of developing an opera monologue and we are working together now on that with the Edmonton Opera to be premiered virtually. Royce and I have been wanting to work together for a few years now, and this is a dream come true for me. We also have a lot of things in common, the most apparent of which is that we both come from Alberta, Canada.

I count myself a very lucky composer to have a lot of work ahead - several chamber and solo works, and also the Flute Concerto, which was written for a socially distanced orchestra in mind, and will be reworked for full orchestra later this year.

VIVIAN FUNG

Juno Award-winning composer Vivian Fung has a unique talent for combining idiosyncratic textures and styles into large-scale works, reflecting her multicultural background. “One of today’s most eclectic composers” (NPR), she has a deep interest in exploring cultures and is passionate about fostering the talent of the next generation.

NATALIA KAZARYAN

From Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, pianist Natalia Kazaryan has been hailed by The New York Sun for her “prodigious ability,” remarking that she “immediately established an atmosphere of strength and confidence.” Passionate about programming works by female composers, she recently curated and performed a recital of all women composers at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., a performance The Washington Post named “one of the best classical concerts of the summer 2019.” She reprises the program for “All Classical Portland” (OR), and continues to expand her series of lecture-recitals showcasing works of female composers, including a recent performance with the National Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the centennial of the 19th amendment (women’s suffrage). She also was recently appointed as a board member of the International Alliance for Women in Music.