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CHONG KEE YONG (b 1971, Kluang, Malaysia)
--Written by CH LOH--
Chong Kee Yong, Malaysia's
leading contemporary music composer, is one of the most exciting voices in new
music today. Few composers can manage to fashion a truly individual sound from
the experimental techniques of today, and Chong belongs to this special class
of talents who can turn a melange of exquisite timbres into a compelling piece
of music with his own fingerprints. Composer Peter Eötvös calls his music
"imaginative and poetic" and composer Jonathan Harvey comments his
music as “very inventive and artistically pure” while Belgian pianists Jan
Michiels and Inge Spinette describes his music as "very personal voice,
very deep and convincing."
His musical language embraces not
only a rich palette of constantly expanding instrumental colours - and Chong
never stops looking for new ones - but is also unafraid to dig into the past
traditions with its lyricism, rhythmic vitality and tonality and work it into
his austere contemporary language, which is enriched by his own Chinese as well
as the multicultural Malaysian heritage. For example you can find traces of
Beijing Opera and Gamelan in his Monodrama for Oboe, Ensemble and
Electronics (2004), hints of kabuki and Asian funeral rituals in his
devastatingly moving symphonic work Tearless Moon (2006), and elements
of calligraphy in his poetic I Hear The Wind Calling (2003). Reaching
deeper into his Chinese roots, Chong also explores the sonic possibilities of
traditional Chinese instruments in his Metamorphosis VI - Wind Prayer for
Sheng, Gu Zheng, Pipa and Ensemble.
Chong was born in the small town of Kluang at the heart of Malaysia's southern palm-oil
plantation state of Johor, where his parents were simple farmers. Growing up in
this rustic environment has left an indelible mark in Chong's artistic outlook,
where the sounds and wonders of nature never cease to inspire his music. His
musical education in the Malaysian Institute of Arts introduced him to the more
cosmopolitan city life of Kuala Lumpur, and his
formative studies in China
with Prof Rao Yuyan and Prof Zhang Dalong at the Xian Conservatory brought him
full circle with his Chinese heritage.
Upon completion of his Bachelor of
Arts in Xian Professor Rao encouraged Chong pursue his final studies at the Royal
Conservatory of Music of Brussels
(Flemish & French section) under
the guidance of Prof Jan Van Landeghem and Prof Daniel Capelletti. There
he acquired the tools for his compositional style today, which is a delightful
balance between the most cutting edge modern techniques and a poetic beauty
that originates from deep within the soul.
In 2001 Chong received his Master of
Composition with the Highest Honours from the Royal Flemish Conservatory. His
post graduation studies include numerous composition master-classes with Brian
Ferneyhough, Daan Manneke, Peter Eötvös, Salvatore Sciarrino, Henri Pousseur,
Hanspeter Kyburz and many others.
Chong's distinctive style has won
him an unending series of awards and commissions, from his first success in
Belgium with the Prix Marcel Hastir awarded by Belgium Royal Academy of
Sciences, Letters & Fine-arts (1999, and then in 2003) to his triumphant
debut in his home country at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra International
Composers' Award (MPOICA) 2004. The return of his music to Malaysia is
particularly significant, as Chong is now regarded as the leading figure in the
country - indeed the region's - budding art music scene.
Chong's distinctive style has won him an unending series of awards
and commissions. His list of prizes at various competitions is remarkable, for
example the Prix Marcel Hastir by Belgium Royal Academy of Sciences,
Letters & Fine-arts (1999, 2003), the 4th International Andrzej Panufnik Competition for Young Composers in
Poland (2002), the Grand Prix at the 2nd Seoul International Competition
for Composers (2003), the Max-Reger-Tage International Composition Competition
in Germany (2004), the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra International
Composers' Award (2004), 2nd Lepo Sumera International young
composer prize (2006), Lutoslawski award (2006), BMW award in the International
Isang Yun Music Prize in Korea (2007) and Second prize in the
Preisträgerkonzert des Internationalen Kompositionswettbewerbes "global
music – contemporary expression" in Germany.
He receives numerous commissions and
grants, for example from Ensemble Prometheus (Belgium), Spiegel Quartet
(Belgium), Transit New Music Festival (Belgium), Ensemble Modern (German),
Akademie der Künste (Berlin), Herrenhaus
Edenkoben (Germany), Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the ministry of Culture, Arts &
Heritage of Malaysia.
Chong has also worked with distinguished
musicians such as pianist Jan Michels, Amy Lin, Yutaka Oya, violinist Wibert
Aerts, violist Paul De Clerck, Yoshiko Sato, Stephanie Griffin, Oboist Piet Van
Bockstals, flutist, Rikke Peterson, Toon Fret, conductor Etienne Siebens, Ivo
Venkov, Pierre-Alain Monot, Jonas Alber, Kevin Field, Bart Bouckaert, Filip
Rathe, Enno Poppe and ensemble like Het Collectief Ensemble, Ensemble
Prometheus, Ensemble Spectra, Quatour Danel in Belgium; Amsterdam Sinfonietta,
Nieuw Ensemble in Holland; Kairos Quartett, Trio Jean Paul, Ensemble Aventure,
Ensemble Mosaik, Ensemble Intégrales in Germany; Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain,
Ensemble fur Neue Musik Zurich in Switzerland & SORI ensemble in Korea.
In 2006
Prof Peter Eötvös nominated Chong for the half-year composer’s residency at the Herrenhaus Edenkoben Foundation,
Germany,
which has yielded yet another masterpiece: Hidden Eternity for 4-Hands Piano
& Ensemble. Written in memorial of Gyorgi Ligeti, a composer whom Chong
deeply admires, it marks yet another milestone in this exciting
composer's growing portfolio as he takes solo piano writing and the
concept of the concerto to the farthest limits.
In 2007 the Spiegel Quartet (Belgium) was
touring Belgium with Chong's 3rd String Quartet "Inner mirror" and the Ensemble
Modern world premiered his "Splattered landscape II"-Cloud echoing- for large ensemble in Frankfurt.
At home the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra world premierd his "
Ocean's pulse" for orchestra and 5 local traditional musicians
(Featured "Hand percussion group" and Dizi soloist Yii Kah Hoe) as part
of Chong's residency with the orchestra.
The highlight of 2007, Chong's debut in the United States
under the invitation of American composers Chou Wen Chung and Chinary Ung,
while his solo viola work Temple Bell Still Ringing In My Heart was
heard at the Asia Pacific Festival 2007 in Wellington, New Zealand.
In 2007, He received a
visiting artist fellowship to live in New York
for 6 months (May-October 07) from the Asian Cultural Council (New York). In the same year his “Horizon’s
chants” for Sheng, Gayageum & Koto was commissioned and first
performed at the Musica Viva 2007 Festival (Munich) and a concerto
“Shui.Mo” for 4 Chinese
instruments and orchestra for Ensemble Dragon and Vlaaderen Symphonie
Orkest.
(2008, Belgium).
His upcoming projects included new piece for Viola solo (for Miss Yoshiko
Sato) with video projection. (Silent film of Noh theatre solo dancer); "Phoenix Calling" concerto for Sheng solo (for Mr. Wu
Wei) and ensemble (Luxembourg Sinfonietta) in 2008 and in 2009, a new commission for cello solo, live performer (painter), live electronic and video from
the Centre de Recherches et de Formation Musicales de Wallonie Electronic studio
of Liege (Belgium). [2009, Belgium]
For
more information please contact Chong Kee Yong at:
Email:
kychongcom@gmail.com
www.chongkeeyong.com
www.myspace.com/keeyongchong
Updated on:1st September 2008
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