Exploring Three East Asian Composers: Toru Takemitsu, Chen Yi, and Jiyoun Chung

In a society where studying and composing in the traditional Western classical style is more common, there has been a large growth of non-Western composers and musicians in the twentieth and twenty-first century, especially from the East Asian countries. This presentation will examine three East Asian composers’ works: Toru Takemitu’s Rain Tree Sketch, Chen Yi’s Variations on “Awariguli”, and Jiyoun Chung’s 가위 (“Scissors”): Fantasia Toccata. Just as there are multiple aspects to a culture, there are multiple ways composers can portray these aspects within their music. The similarities between Takemitsu, Chen, and Chung lie in the fact that they synthesize cultural aspects from their native countries with traditional Western musical techniques. However, the journey each composer took to create their works differs immensely. Takemitsu did not begin to appreciate Japanese musical tradition and regularly incorporate aspects of it in his compositions until he had been composing for over a decade. Chen had a greater appreciation for Chinese musical tradition early on and incorporated it into her early compositions and continues to infuse traditional Chinese elements into almost all of her works. Although integrating traditional Korean elements does not come as a priority for Chung, depending on what she specifically wants to communicate through her music, it provided her with a larger musical vocabulary. How Takemitsu, Chen, and Chung preserve aspects of their native culture, ranging from music to aesthetics while fusing traditional Western music techniques, will be observed mainly through their compositional and culture’s influences