THE RESONANCE ATLAS
Cindi Hsu
Biography
Cindi Hsu is a Taiwanese-born composer and pianist based in Colorado. She studied piano performance at Tunghai University in Taiwan and completed a master's degree in composition at New York University. Her composition teachers have included Justin Dello Joio, David Diamond, Dinu Ghezzo, Philip Lasser and Gordon Chin.
Hsu's work ranges from orchestral and band music to chamber pieces, with a particular interest in expressive melody, instrumental colour and musical storytelling. Her Spring Fever for bassoon and piano won the 2018 Bassoon Chamber Music Composition Competition; Vignettes (2017) is a five-movement trio for flute, clarinet and bassoon. Metamorphosis (2023), commissioned by the Post-Haste Reed Duo and a consortium of performers, is available for either soprano saxophone or oboe with bassoon and piano. Her music has been performed in Asia, Europe and the United States. She has taught at the Music Conservatory of Westchester and Arapahoe Community College.
Why this music interests us
Hsu's chamber music offers several appealing perspectives on the bassoon. Metamorphosis (2023), available for oboe or soprano saxophone with bassoon and piano, is a particularly practical prospect for intimate performance. Vignettes (2017), a five-movement trio for flute, clarinet and bassoon, offers a contrasting wind combination, while Spring Fever (2017) pairs bassoon and piano.
Selected works & listening
Metamorphosis (2023; oboe or soprano saxophone, bassoon, piano); Vignettes (2017; flute, clarinet, bassoon); Spring Fever (2017; bassoon and piano)
Further information