Vivian Fung has distinguished herself as a composer with a unique and powerful compositional voice. Since earning her doctorate from The Juilliard School in 2002, Fung has forged her own approach, often merging Western forms with non-Western influences such as Balinese and Javanese gamelan and folk songs from the minority regions of China. The New York Times has described her work as “evocative,” and Chicago Tribune deems one of her most recent works, Yunnan Folk Songs, as conveying “a winning rawness that went beyond exoticism.” The premiere by Fulcrum Point New Music Project was chosen by Chicago Classical Review as one of the top 10 performances of 2011.
Additional highlights of Fung’s recent performances include: the premiere of her Violin Concerto by violinist Kristin Lee and Grammy-nominated Metropolis Ensemble in New York City on September 15, 2011; a performance of her Pizzicato for String Quartet at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Opening Night program September 26, 2011; the premiere of Dust Devils for full orchestra led by Gerard Schwarz to celebrate the Eastern Music Festival’s 50th anniversary; and the premiere of a set of choral works by the acclaimed Suwon Civic Chorale in South Korea.
Fung’s upcoming projects include her String Sinfonietta, to be given its Canadian premiere in 2012 by the Montreal Chamber Orchestra; new works for the Delaware Chamber Music Festival and Gamelan Yowana Sari; and performances by Astral Artists, CUBE Ensemble, and pianist Mary Ernest. An all-Fung CD, including her Violin and Piano Concerti and Glimpses for prepared piano recorded by Metropolis Ensemble, will be released in 2012 by Naxos Canada.
Fung’s works have increasingly become part of the core repertoire. Recognized by the New York Times as “the most memorable part” of the Ying Quartet’s concert at Weill Recital Hall, Fung’s Pizzicato has been a part of the quartet’s repertory for several seasons. Her Glimpses for prepared piano has been embraced by a diverse group of pianists, including Margaret Leng Tan, Conor Hanick, Jenny Lin, Jenny Q Chai, Bryan Wagorn, and Vicky Chow. Following its world premiere of Fung’s String Quartet No. 2, the Shanghai Quartet has included the work on its roster, including giving the Canadian premiere at the Edmonton Chamber Music Society this past March. Fung’s works have also been embraced by such ensembles as Afiara String Quartet, Seattle Symphony, New York Chamber Symphony, San José Chamber Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, American String Quartet, Escher String Quartet, Music from China, and American Opera Projects.
Fung has traveled extensively for her work. In 2004, she traveled to Bali, Indonesia, as part of the Asia Pacific Performance Exchange (APPEX) program sponsored by the UCLA Center for Intercultural Performance. Her String Quartet No. 1 was performed at the Great Wall International Music Festival in Beijing, China, by the American String Quartet in 2005. In summer 2010, as an ensemble member and composer in Gamelan Dharma Swara, Fung completed a performance tour of Bali, including competing in the Bali Arts Festival. She continues to find musical inspiration in her travels, including recent trips to visit minority cultures in Northern Vietnam, and to attend flamenco performances in Spain. She plans to visit Yunnan province in Southwest China in 2012 to conduct further research on the province’s minority music and cultures.
Fung has been composer-in-residence of the Delaware Chamber Music Festival, the Music in the Loft chamber music series in Chicago, the San José Chamber Orchestra, and the Billings Symphony. She has also completed residencies at the MacDowell, Yaddo, and Banff arts colonies, as well as two residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Fung was the 2010 New York Foundation for the Arts’ Gregory Millard fellow. She has received numerous awards and grants from ASCAP, BMI, American Music Center, American Composers’ Forum, The MAP Fund, and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Born in Edmonton, Canada, Fung began composition studies with composer Violet Archer. Other early influences include her mentors David Diamond, Narcis Bonet, and Robert Beaser. Fung is affiliated with The Juilliard School and is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre. Fung’s music is commercially released and available on the Telarc, Çedille, and Signpost labels.
For more information, please visit: www.vivianfung.net