Vic Firth Artist Spotlight: Pius Cheung PASIC 2009 presented in vicfirth.com features the HQ video clippings of Pius Cheung’s live performance of his newest compositions including excerpts of Etude in d minor, c# minor and D Major; complete Etude in c minor, Etude in Eb Major and Etude in E Major.

Excerpt of Etude in d minor, c# minor and D Major

Etude in c minor

Etude in Eb Major

Etude in E Major

“Symphonic Poem” is the latest CD album recorded by Pius Cheung in 2009 under his own indie label.  Recorded in this new CD are solo marimba titles including the theme – Symphonic Poem (a large scale solo marimba work), four Etudes and a short Musical Moment; all composed and performed by Pius Cheung. “Symphonic Poem” is due to be released at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention 2009.

“Symphonic Poem” audio CD will be available for sale in November 2009 Pius Cheung Online Music Store, Steve Weiss Music and Amazon; and for download version, in CDBaby and iTunes.

Click here for a preview of this new CD and sound track samplers.

The last release of Pius Cheung’s debut audio CD, Goldberg Variations, J.S. Bach (arr. for solo marimba) was sold out in various dealers. 

The Goldberg Variations CD has recently received critical acclaims in The New York Times; and in earlier years, Audiophile Audition and Percussive Notes – PAS Magazine.

To catch the backlog of orders, a re-run of the Goldberg Variations CD is rushed and will be available for sale again in early November 2009 in Pius Cheung Online Music Store and other selective dealers.

Click here for more details about the Goldberg Variations CD and to play sound track samplers.

Program:
Pius Cheung, Solo Marimba Recital (details tba)
Date:
May 19, 2010
Place:
Cosmo Club
Washington DC

Program:
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Guest Recital, Pius Cheung, Solo Marimba (details tba)
Date:
November 22, 2009
Time:
8:00 pm-10:00 pm
Place:
Warner Concert Hall
corner of Professor and West College streets
Oberlin, OH

Program:
Música Latina
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Alondra de la Parra, conductor
Pius Cheung, marimba
J.S. Bach: Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052
Date:
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Time:
2:00 pm
Place:
The Francis Winspear Centre for Music
102nd Avenue and 99th Street
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

Program:
PASIC 2009 Convention (November 11 – 14, 2009)
Marimba Romanticism, Keyboard Clinic by Pius Cheung
Date:
Novembr 14, 2009
Time:
3:00 pm
Place:
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis, Indiana

Program:
International Marimba Festival and Conference (April 28, 2010 – May 1, 2010)
Marimba Recital, Pius Cheung (details tba)
Date:
May 1, 2010
Time:
3:00 pm
Place:
Ted Mann Concert Hall
Minnesota, MN

My PASIC session will consist of a performance of my own compositions. This music is sometimes described as being “neo-romantic”; therefore I decided to title the session “Marimba Romanticism.”

The performance will focus primarily on etudes for solo marimba. These etudes are part of my project to compose a cycle of 24 of such works, one in each chromatic key. Despite the title of “etude,” these pieces are not mere technical exercises; each of them is a short musical moment of its own.

I will give a brief presentation regarding my general approach towards music technically and artistically, how I approach composing for the marimba, the benefits of making adaptations, transcriptions and arrangements for the marimba, and how it has affected me compositionally and as a performer. I will also discuss the reasons why I play sitting down and, if time permits, open the floor for questions.

Since time is limited at PASIC presentations, I will only be touching briefly on technical issues towards marimba playing. Therefore, I will provide a more detailed explanation here.

No matter how complex and/or difficult a piece is, all we are doing physically is a combination of different kinds of strokes. I have always believed in a three-step approach towards every note:

1. Think of the sound you want to produce;
2. Make it happen with your hands;
3. Listen and check if the sound you are producing matches what you imagined.

Conceptually, this seems very simple, but in the frenzy of playing coupled with stage fright, one can easily forget steps 1 and 3.

Aside from these steps, there is also a systematic approach towards different kinds of strokes and ways we can draw different tone colors out of the marimba. My approach is largely based on what I learned about timpani playing during my studies with Don Liuzzi, Principal Timpanist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. My other past teachers, Michael Udow and Nancy Zeltsman, also helped me clarify various applications of these concepts in playing and in teaching.

First, we have three stroke types: up, down and full. Second, we have five basic levels of stroke speeds: military, assertive, normal, relaxed, and slow-motion. Military is the most aggressive and quickest; slow-motion is the most relaxed and slowest, similar to a Tai-chi approach.

In my experience, the slow-motion stroke is most useful for developing a physical feel for the connection between notes and horizontal motions on the instrument. Third, we have five basic levels of stroke weight, utilizing the control and natural weight of different body parts: fingers, wrist, forearm, whole arm, and body. We use fingers for easy control over the most delicate passages, and when the music calls for it, we can throw our body-weight onto the instrument for those special peasante moments.

A simple exercise would be to practice scales with combinations of these three
stroke aspects. It is important to constantly listen to what kind of sounds and tones
each stroke combination produces in order for us to physically and mentally absorb these different strokes into our instincts and utilize them when the music calls for it. In addition, we can also draw out different tone colors by playing on different parts of the bar. The key is to have the least possible amount of tension in your body, especially in your hands, arms, and shoulders. And keep your mallets as low as possible, or as high as musically necessary. Speed is almost an addiction for a lot of people, but it is important to remember that technique is only for the purpose of serving the music. One only needs to play as fast or as slow as the music calls for. To develop fast hands, one simply needs to listen, be aware of the sounds and tones one is producing (and how they are being produced), stay relaxed, and be aware of mallet heights and unnecessary motions that have no affect on sound.

Pius Cheung

An article written by Pius Cheung
appearing on Percussive Notes, August/September 2009 Issue

“Bach as you’ve never heard it … [Mr. Cheung] surmounts the contrapuntal hurdles and offers a stylish, deeply expressive interpretation [of the Goldberg Variations] notable for its clear voicing, eloquent phrasing and wide range of color and dynamics …”

The New York Times  [related link]