The Beekeeper (2022)
Music by Wang Lu | Libretto by Kelley Rourke
Commissioned by Chicago Opera Theater
Concert/workshop premiere: Chicago Opera Theater, March 2022*
Duration: 50 min.
Currently seeking venue for fully-staged premiere.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

desert in (2021)
An Opera Miniseries in eight episodes
Commissioned by the Boston Lyric Opera
Premiered by Boston Lyric Opera / operabox.tv in June 2021
conceived by Ellen Reid, christopher oscar peña, and James Darrah
Episode 5: i miss you more than i remember you
Wang Lu / christopher oscar peña
Listen to Excerpt
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Fabric (2024)
a multi-movement composition for large number of beginner student string players
Watch
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Tangram (2024)
for string ensemble and piano
Dedicated to Commuinty Music Works with Admiration
Duration: 13 mins and 30 seconds
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Shout-out (2024)
for flute, clarinet, saxephone, piano, percussion, violin and cello
Commissioned by Collage New Music
Duration: 6 mins
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

The Nothing Man and Other Tales (2023)
for soprano and large ensemble
Text selected from Telephone Tales by Gianni Rodari, English translation by Antony Shugaar.
Commissioned by The Barlow Foundation for Music Composition at Brigham Young University
Premiere date: June 3rd 2023, Seattle Modern Orchestra, Seattle, WA.
Dedicated to the musicians of Seattle Modern Orchestra
Duration: 30 min.
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Surge (2022)
for orchestra
Commissioned by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation for the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Dalia Stasevska.
Premiere date: January 20, 21, 2023
Duration: 6 min.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

At Which Point (2021)
for 24 singers and electronic processes
For the Crossing Ensemble
Text by Pulitzer Prize winner and poet, Forrest Gander
Premiere date: June 18 and 19, 2021
Duration: 20 min.
Watch At Which Point (concert film) by The Crossing

First Words (2018)
for mixed chorus
New York Virtuoso Singers
Duration: 5 min.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Backstory (2016)
for large ensemble (16 musicians)
Instrumentation: flute (picc.), oboe, 2 clarinets (E-flat and B-flat), bassoon (Cbsn.), horn, trumpet, trombone, piano, 2 perc., 2 violins, viola, cello, bass.
Premiered by Alarm Will Sound, conducted by Alan Pierson, at the Mizzou International Composers Festival.
Listen to Backstory
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Scenes from the Bosco Sacro (2014)
for orchestra
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, timpani, 2 percussionists, strings
Selected for the New York Philharmonic Biennial 2014 Readings, June 2014. New York Philharmonic, conducted by Alan Gilbert.
Duration: 6 min.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

An Atlas of Time (2013)
Instrumentation: flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, 2 pianos, 2 percussionists, 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos, bass and electronics
Commissioned and premiered by the Ensemble Modern, conducted by Johannes Kalitzke. November 24, 2013, Frankfurt (Cresc. Biennale 2013)
Duration: 17 min.
Listen from the album, "An Atlas of Time"
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Past Beyond (2012)
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, harp, piano, 3 percussionists, 3 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, bass
Commissioned and premiered by the Ensemble Intercontemporain, conducted by Susanna Mälkki. October 4, 2012, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
Duration: 16 min.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Flowing Water Study II (2011)
for chamber orchestra, with live video
Instrumentation: flute (doubling alto flute), oboe, clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, 2 percussionists, piano/celesta, harp, strings: violin I (6 players), violin II (5), viola (4), cello (3), bass (2)
Commissioned and premiered by the American Composers Orchestra, conducted by George Manahan. October 14, 2011, Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York. Live video by Daniel Iglesia.
Duration: 16 min.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Fathertongue (2011)
for orchestra
Instrumentation: piccolo, flute, 2 oboes, clarinet in Eb, clarinet in Bb, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, 2 percussionists, harp, strings: violin I (4 players), violin II (4 players), viola (3 players), cello (3 players), double bass (2 players)
Premiered at the Cabrillo Music Festival on Aug. 4, 2011, at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, California.
Duration: 6 min.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Cross-Around (2010)
Instrumentation: flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion (1), piano, 2 violins, viola, cello, bass
Commissioned and premiered by Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, conducted by Lorraine Vaillancourt. Nov. 26, 2010, Salle Claude Champagne, Université de Montréal, Canada
Accompanies Leighton Pierce’s film Number One, but can be performed independently of the film.
Duration: 13 min.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Wailing (2008)
for large orchestra
Premiered by the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Osmo Vänskä, November 7, 2008.
Duration: 13 min.
Excerpt from a performance by the Holland Symfonia/Hans Leedners
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

November Airs (2021)
for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello
Dedicated to the Talea Ensemble
Duration: 15 min.
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Transplant, Transpose (2019)
for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano and two improvising soloists: Chinese mouth organ (Sheng) and alto saxophone
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Childhood Amnesia (2017)
for clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion
Watch performance by the International Contemporary Ensemble
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Cloud Intimacy (2016)
for clarinet, sax, elec. guitar, piano, percussion (dbl. electronics), viola
Commissioned by the International Contemporary Ensemble for Aspekte Salzburg and Mostly Mozart.
Duration: 10 min.
Watch performance by the International Contemporary Ensemble
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Urban Inventory (2015)
for chamber ensemble and electronics
Commissioned by Music at the Anthology (MATA).
Premiered by the Curious Chamber Players (Sweden), April 14, 2015, The Kitchen, New York.
Publisher: PSNY
Duration: 15 min.
Listen from the album, "Urban Inventory"
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

HaiZi (2012)
Instrumentation: ensemble of 10 traditional Chinese instruments
Commissioned and premiered by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra, May 2012, Taipei. Written in honor of Chou Wen-chung.
Duration: 10 min.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Siren Song (2010)
Instrumentation: flute, clarinet, horn, trumpet, percussion, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello
Premiered by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), April 5, 2008, Merkin Hall, New York.
Duration: 7 min.
Excerpt from a performance by the Ensemble Intercontemporain
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Lost Dialects (2008)
Instrumentation: oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, percussion, cello
Premiered on November 1, 2008, by the Argento Chamber Ensemble, conducted by Michel Galante, at Merkin Hall, New York.
Duration: 9 min.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Qing Dan (2003)
Instrumentation: bamboo flute, 2 pipa, zheng, 2 percussionists
Premiered by the Wen Jian Hui Traditional Chinese Ensemble, November 2003, Taipei Zhong Shan Hall, Taipei.
Duration: 12 min.
Excerpt from the premiere

The Nothing Man and Other Tales (2023)
for soprano and large ensemble
Text selected from Telephone Tales by Gianni Rodari, English translation by Antony Shugaar.
Commissioned by The Barlow Foundation for Music Composition at Brigham Young University
Premiere date: June 3rd 2023, Seattle Modern Orchestra, Seattle, WA.
Dedicated to the musicians of Seattle Modern Orchestra
Duration: 30 min.
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

The Beekeeper (2022)
Music by Wang Lu | Libretto by Kelley Rourke
Commissioned by Chicago Opera Theater
Concert/workshop premiere: Chicago Opera Theater, March 2022*
Duration: 50 min.
Currently seeking venue for fully-staged premiere.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

At Which Point (2021)
for 24 singers and electronic processes
For the Crossing Ensemble
Text by Pulitzer Prize winner and poet, Forrest Gander
Premiere date: June 18 and 19, 2021
Duration: 20 min.
Watch At Which Point (concert film) by The Crossing

desert in (2021)
An Opera Miniseries in eight episodes
Commissioned by the Boston Lyric Opera
Premiered by Boston Lyric Opera / operabox.tv in June 2021
conceived by Ellen Reid, christopher oscar peña, and James Darrah
Episode 5: i miss you more than i remember you
Wang Lu / christopher oscar peña
Listen to Excerpt   Watch Trailer and Rent
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Bathing (2020)
for solo soprano
Text by Lucy Corin
Commissioned by GLFCAMGigThruCOVID
Duration: 3 min. 35 sec.
Watch Bathing (Stephanie Lamprea)
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

First Words (2018)
for mixed chorus
New York Virtuoso Singers
Duration: 5 min.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Communing (2024)
for piano, percussion and electronics
Madeline Hollander, choreographer
Duration: 16 min.
Watch
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Wave Field (2023)
for piano and string quartet
Dedicated to Saleem Abboud Ashkar with Great Admiration
Duration: 4 min.
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Motion (2022)
for string quartet
Commissioned by the Parker Quartet
Duration: 5 min.
Watch
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Ligament (2022)
for oboe, tenor sax and cello
Written for Ensemble Mosaik with Admiration
Duration: 9 min.
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Like Clockwork (2020)
for violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion
Commissioned and premiered by Seattle Modern Orchestra
Duration: 15 min.
Watch the premiere performance
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

A-PPA-Aratus (2019)
for two percussionists and two pianists
Koussevitzky Foundation and Miller Theatre co-commission
Duration: 24 min.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Code Switch (2019)
for two trumpets, horn, bass trombone and one percussionist
Commissioned by Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNow
Duration: 6 min.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Movable Set (2019)
for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano
Duration: 12 min.
Program Note

Seven Poems (2019)
for traditional Japanese Noh and solo cello
Duration: 13 min.
Watch world premiere video (Ryoko Aioki and Seiko Takemoto)
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Between Air (2018)
for clarinet and string quartet
Aizuri Quartet and clarinetist Kenan Azmeh
Duration: 6 min.
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

After some remarks by CW on his work (2018)
for clarinet and harp
Duration: 6 min.
Listen to After some remarks by CW (Ben Melsky)
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Ryan and Dan (2017)
for tenor sax and electric guitar
written for Ryan Muncy and Dan Lippel
Duration: 6-7 min.
Watch performance by Ryan Muncy and Daniel Lippel at National Sawdust
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Double Trance (2016)
for string quartet
Commissioned and premiered by the Momenta Quartet, September 28, 2016, Tenri Cultural Center, New York.
Duration: 9 min.
Listen to premiere performance (Momenta Quartet)
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Trinkets (2013)
Instrumentation: flute/piccolo, violin, cello, piano
Commissioned and premiered by Ensemble Pamplemousse, April 2013, New York.
Duration: 7 min.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

From the Distant Plains II (2010)
Instrumentation: flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano
Commissioned by Toshio Hosokawa and the Takefu Music Festival. Premiered on August 25, 2010, Takefu, Japan, by the Next Mushroom Ensemble.
Duration: 10 min.
Excerpt from a performance by the International Contemporary Ensemble
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Spring Struck (2009)
for percussion quartet with tape
Duration: 8 min.
Watch

Shear (2005)
for string quartet
Premiered by the Momenta Quartet, October 2005, at the Tenri Cultural Center, New York.
Excerpt from the premiere
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Stages (2023)
for solo percussion
Duration: 30 min.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Sparrows and Puffins (2023)
for solo viola
Duration: 2 min. 15 sec.
Listen

Aftertouch (2021)
for solo flute and live electronics
Commissioned and premiered by Claire Chase for Density 2036
Duration: 16 min.
Listen
Watch Claire Chase in Rehearsal
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Lacuna (2021)
for solo piano
Commissioned by People’s Symphony Concerts NYC for Shai Wosner
Duration: 7 min. 30 sec.
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Constellations Apart (2021)
for solo piano
Commissioned by Jacob Greenberg premiered at Santa Fe Music Festival 2021
Duration: 11 min. 30 sec.
Listen
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Bathing (2020)
for solo soprano
Text by Lucy Corin
Commissioned by GLFCAMGigThruCOVID
Duration: 3 min. 35 sec.
Watch Bathing (Stephanie Lamprea)
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Her Latitude (2018)
for solo violin and electronics
in three movements
Duration: 15 min.
Listen to Her Latitude: I (Jennifer Koh)
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Rates of Extinction (2017)
for solo piano
Rates of Extinction (excerpt), Ning Yu: piano
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Recombinant, part 1 (2017)
for solo piano
Commissioned by the Open Source Music Festival for Joel Fan
Duration: 5 min.
Watch the premiere performance
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Unbreathable Colors (2017)
for solo violin
Written for and premiered by Miranda Cuckson at National Sawdust, Brooklyn, April 5, 2017.
Duration: 10 min.
Unbreathable Colors excerpt
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Missing Absence (2017)
for solo organ
Written for and premiered by Mark Steinbach at Notre-Dame de Paris, July 2, 2016.
Duration: 7 min.
Performance by Mark Steinbach in Berlin, 2016
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Nine Parts of Two (2017)
for solo piano with projected images
A collaboration with architect William O'Brien at the American Academy in Rome. Premiered by the composer on January 30, 2013.
Duration: 16-20 min.
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Winter Night (2006)
for solo piano
Premiered by the composer, April 2006, at the Tenri Cultural Center, New York.
Duration: 10 min.
Listen

A Distant World (2004)
for solo flute
Written for and premiered by Christoph Bosch “Roaring Hooves-VI” Music Festival, Mongolia, June 2004.
Duration: 9 min.
Complete performance by Christoph Bosch
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples

Communing (2024)
for piano, percussion and electronics
Madeline Hollander, choreographer
Duration: 16 min.
Watch
Program Notes, Media and Score Samples