Bio
Fish Yu is a Toronto-based young composer from Hong Kong. Yu completed his Bachelor of Music (honours) with first-class honours, majoring in Composition & Electronic Music under the guidance of Ms Poly Ng at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He is now pursuing his Master of Music degree at the University of Toronto with a full scholarship supported by The Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme, majoring in Music Technology & Digital Media.
Yu composed a wide range of music, including solo, chamber, Chinese music, orchestral work, electroacoustic music, and opera. Yu's works have been premiered and broadcast worldwide like Radio Television Hong Kong Radio 4, University of Toronto New Music Festival 2023, Hong Kong Contemporary Music Festival: Asian Delight, Lithuanian national radio, etc. Yu has also worked with artists worldwide, like Wind Kamerata, Cong Quartet, Nova Ensemble, Dawning Quartet, New Morse Code Duo, and Reiko Manabe, Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble, etc. Furthermore, his work—'Please Don't Open' for Trombone and Electronics—was nominated to the 67th International Rostrum of Composers in 2021 and chosen as Recommended Works by Composers Under 30 Category. Yu was the winner of the Hong Kong Composers' Guild's Music New Generation 2020. His other work—'Torrent' for Flute and Electronics—received the third prize in The Young Composers Competition of Isidora Žebeljan International Festival 2021.
In 2021, Yu led a multimedia production for a mini-opera. He acted as the director, composer and sound engineer in this production. In 2022, Yu received a fellowship to attend Toolbox International Creative Academy and take composition lessons with Prof. Ken Ueno and Dr Matthew Schreibeis. He is also now composing a new piece for mallet station, marimba, live electronics and Cantonese speech for the Toronto-based percussion group KöNG Duo.
Programme Notes
After a long period of cold weather, the animals of the community become worried. They decide to send a messenger to the Great Sky Spirit to ask for relief.
The Rainbow Crow, the most beautifully feathered bird, offers to make the arduous journey. It travels safely and is rewarded by the Great Spirit with the gift of fire. He carries the gift in his beak back to his people, but upon his return, he does not appear to be the same bird that he once was.
The fire has scorched his plumage black, with only hints of his previous colour, and his voice has been made rough and hoarse by the smoke. In this way, his sacrifice is commemorated.