Resonance of the Huqin
Meeting Hall· Adelaide · 2025
A program of new commissioned works by Seven South Australian composers
David Wei-Han Dai — Erhu / Composer
Felix Wang — Zhonghu
Lester Wong- Gouhu
9 May 2025
presented by Silk Strings Ensemble
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Proudly funded by Arts South Australia, this concert showcases Silk Strings’ latest venture: a program of new works by South Australian composers Belinda Gehlert, Jakub Jankowski, Satomi Ohnishi, Hilary Kleinig, David Wei-Han Dai, Felix Wang, and Lester Wong.
Written for combinations of up to five musicians, including one to three huqin alongside a diverse range of instruments, these works explore themes of South Australian landscapes and soundscapes, Sinophone worlds, cultural memory, and global musical dialogues. Each composer brings a distinct musical perspective, contributing new approaches to the huqin and its place within contemporary Australian music.
By bringing these new compositions together with traditional Chinese repertoire, the concert creates a dialogue between tradition, contemporary practice, and diverse cultural perspectives. Together, the program reflects Silk Strings’ vision for future collaborations and its growing identity as an innovative Australian music ensemble.
WORKS
Silk Moon
Silk Moon features intervals of thirds, fourths, and fifths, capturing the raw simplicity and vibrant energy of folk music. Constant shifts in meter mirror the spinning motion of a dancer, while the melody leaps through a distinctive scale, adding a sense of playful movement. The music invites the imagination to wander: a traveler under the moonlight, dancing along the Silk Road, sharing in the joy of a magical evening.
Thread
Inspired by The Red Thread, a novel by Adelaide-based writer and scholar Nicholas Jose, Thread explores the intersections of love, destiny, memory, and the elusive boundary between reality and imagination. The work also resonates with the literary world of Six Chapters of a Floating Life, a classic Chinese memoir that reflects on love, intimacy, memory, and the passage of time.
Rather than retelling a specific narrative, Thread responds to the emotional and cultural connections between these works, translating their themes into a musical journey through three movements:
I. Love
Love emerges as both an intimate experience and an imagined possibility. The invisible red thread that connects two people becomes a metaphor for longing, attraction, and the desire for an idealised and complete relationship—like the image of a full moon.
II. Destiny
The second movement explores the tension between love and destiny. What makes a relationship feel inevitable, and what might constitute a “perfect” love? Through searching, uncertainty, and musical transformation, the movement reflects on whether love is shaped by choice, fate, or the stories we construct around it.
III. Memory
The final movement moves between memory, imagination, and reality. Fragments of the past return and transform, blurring the distinction between what was experienced and what is remembered or imagined. The work ultimately lingers on the desire to preserve a fleeting moment of beauty, allowing the narrative to remain suspended rather than reaching a definitive conclusion.
WATCH
CREDITS
Erhu & Composer- David Wei-Han Dai
Zhonghu & Reader- Feix Wang
Zhonghu- Lester Wong
Cello- Zoë Barry
Qanun- Vahideh Eissaei
Presented by- Silk Strings Ensemble
