Hee-chiat Chew is currently the Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Conducting aside, Chew is an award-winning composer as well. His works have characteristic features that demonstrate his Southeast Asian cultural heritage. He was second runner-up in the International Competition for Chinese Orchestral Compositions 2000 (HK) and winner of the Outstanding Composition Award in the Chinese Music Competition 2002 organized by the Council for Cultural Affairs in Taiwan.
Hee-chiat Chew: Orchestra Suite No. 2
Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra, Tien-Ku Percussion Group / Chih-Sheng Chen / National Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. 2013.7.24.
This work is based on two short melodies, composed in such a way that they could seem to resemble the folk songs of many different cultures. The actual inspiration came when I listened to “Feng Cai” (or Tang Capriccio), the CD produced by HUGO and recorded by the HKCO. I discovered the enormous potentials that I could compose for the orchestra that is in such great versatility. A tonal work, Orchestra Suite No. 2 may not have many Chinese folk materials. The composition is ‘cosmopolitan-ly’ flavoured because it encompasses not only the Chinese style of instrumentation but also other colourful Oriental, Western and some parts of South East Asian styles.
~Hee-chiat Chew
* This music was awarded the 2nd Runner-up prize of the International Competition for Chinese Orchestral Composition 2000 by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.
