Man-Ching Donald Yu, Hong Kong born composer, pianist, and theorist. His music has received various reviews internationally while being described as “Forming an arresting and personal intermixing of tonal and atonal languages, with the musical colors and gestures of his native country infiltrating the mix.”(Fanfare Magazine), “The composer exhibits a radical way of sparse sound-disposition, through the expressive outburst to the final spiritualization of the musical material that fades away in a suspense manner.” (Augsburger Allgemeine, Germany) “Symphony no. 2 reflects an amazing combination for diatonic and chromatic material”(Zaholovok, Ukraine).
As a prolific composer, more than hundreds compositional works ranges from chamber, vocal, electroacoustic, Chinese instrumental works to opera, choral works and symphonies. His works have been featured at various international festivals and venues throughout the North and South America, Europe and Asia, such as the EurAsia International Music Festival, Yekaternburg Russia (2017), the 24th International Review of Composers, Serbia (2015), the Expo Milano, Italy (2015), the Hong Kong Arts Festival (2016), the International Festival of Modern Art: Two Days and Two Nights of New Music at the Odessa Philharmonic Theater (2011, 2015), the International Festival of Modern Music “Kyiv Music Fest” (2014), the International Spring Orchestra Festival, Malta, (2013), the New Horizons Music Festival, U.S. (2012, 2014), the Mozarteum International Summer Academy, Salzburg (2007), the Yogyarkarta Contemporary Music Festival, Indonesia (2009, 2014), and among others; Music has received commissions and/or performances from the Uzhgorod Philharmonic with chorus, the Opera Hong Kong Chorus, the Chernivtsi Philharmonic, the Lugansk Philharmonic, the Khmelnytsky Philharmonic Winds, Icarus Ensemble, Ensemble Dialog, Duo Pianistico di Firenze, Senza Sforzando Ensemble, the Yao Yuen Chinese Music Orchestra and many others. Yu’s music is published in Italy, Germany, Portugal, U.S.A. and Japan. Music recordings are on Ablaze Records, Albany Records and Zimbel Records.
Apart from mainly being a composer, he is also active as a theorist, a performer, as well as an educator. As a music theorist, his music theory papers have been selected at various international music theory conferences including the 9th International Music Theory Conference at the University of Arts in Belgrade (Serbia), the 2015 Keele Music Analysis Conference (U.K.), as well as selected for publication in various scholarly book and academic journals such as Cambridge Scholars Publishing (UK) and New Sound: International Journal of Music (Serbia). As a pianist, he performed a diverse repertoire; he started learning piano at age 10 and made his concerto debut twice at age 16. Later he also earned a Licentiate Diploma (L.R.S.M.) in piano performance from the Royal Schools of Music. His interpretation of own pieces is described as “prowess at keyboard.”(Fanfare). As a lecturer, from the beginning of 2007, he taught music theory and composition at various institutions including the Education University of Hong Kong.
Yu earned his B.Mus. degree in piano performance and composition from the Baylor University (U.S.), studying piano performance with Krassimira Jordan of the Russian piano school. Later he received a scholarship to continue his composition study at the International Summer Academy Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria. Subsequently he received his Ph.D. in composition and music theory with the support of a full postgraduate research assistantship at the Hong Kong Baptist University. He additionally holds a Fellowship (F.T.C.L) in Music Composition from Trinity College London (U.K.).Since 2007 he has received various awards, funds, grants and honorable mentions from different organizations, locally and overseas, including those from ASCAP, Sir Edward Youde Memorial Council and Newly Published Music Competition (NFA – U.S.).
WORKS
The Maximum Speed of Raphael’s Madonna | flute & piano
Spring Flower | flute, clarinet & bassoon
Flaming Passion | flute, violoncello & piano
Fishing in Snow | trumpet & piano
Sign of Spring | double bass & piano
Tunneling | piano & electronics
Divertimento “Chromatic Fantasy” | organ
Buiseonrando | trombone & piano
The Great Wall | clarinet, bassoon & piano
Quantum Mysticism | piano
Blossoms | brass ensemble
Air | chamber orchestra
Recede and Surge | clarinet & piano
Apocalypse | orchestra
Purple Sky | violoncello & piano