PROGRAM NOTE

On June 4th, 1989, the Chinese government forcefully brought an end to a student led pro-democratic protest in Tiananmen Square. To this date, there are many conflicting accounts around the suppression of the protesters. The true number remains a mystery. Known as the Liù-Sì Túshā or June Fourth Massacre, the subject remains a forbidden topic in Mainland China. 

The work is scored for solo violin, chorus and large orchestra and employs text and music from the Chinese National Anthem as well as text from two other Chinese poets connected to Tiananmen Square. The conception of the work is based on creating an enclosed aural experience, with the audience at center. Offstage ensembles are placed around the hall to envelop the audience in an artificial “square.” The orchestral and choral forces do not represent singular identities however the solo violin is symbolic as leader or voice that invigorates the masses at large. The work is divided into four movements.