Yu, Donald Man-Ching: Merging and Diverging, for Viola

Composer(s)

Dr. Man-Ching Donald Yu (b.1980), Hong Kong born composer and pianist. 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).
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 “Music Today in China” (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 Yogyarkarta Contemporary Music Festival, Indonesia (2009, 2014) and among others; His music has been performed and/or commissioned by the Uzhgorod Philharmonic with chorus, the Opera Hong Kong Chorus with the Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, the Chernivtsi Philharmonic, the Lugansk Philharmonic, the Khmelnytsky Philharmonic Winds, Icarus Ensemble, Ensemble Dialog, Duo Pianistico di Firenze, Musicorba Duo, Senza Sforzando Ensemble, the Choral Fellows of the Harvard University Choir, the New Score Chamber Orchestra, the Equinox Trio, the Yao Yuen Chinese Music Orchestra, Truman State Clarinet Choir, Truman State Brass Choir, Onondaga Civic Symphony Orchestra, and many others. Yu’s music is published in Italy, Germany, Portugal, United States and Japan. Music recordings are recorded on Ablaze and Hugo Records, as well as on Albany and Zimbel Records in which he performs his own music. As a pianist, he has performed a diverse repertoire and collaborated with numerous instrumentalists and singers in different countries such as Hong Kong, Macau, Serbia, Italy, Austria, Germany and United States, including the Mozarteum International Summer Academy, Salzburg (2007), the Cortona Contemporary Music Festival in 2007 (Italy), etc. Yu started learning piano at age 10 and made his concerto debut twice with Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra 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).
Apart from mainly being a composer and pianist, Yu is also active as a scholar as well as an educator. As a theorist, his papers have been presented in different international conferences including the 2015 Keele Music Analysis Conference (U.K.) as well as published in scholarly books and music journals such as Cambridge Scholars Publishing (U.K.) and New Sound International Journal of Music (Serbia). As a lecturer, from the beginning of 2007, he taught music history, music theory and composition at various institutions including the Hong Kong International Institute of Music, the Community College of City University of Hong Kong, and 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 music 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. Additionally, he obtained a Fellowship Diploma (F.T.C.L.) in Music Composition from Trinity College London. Since 2007 he has received various awards, funds, grants and honorable mentions from different organizations, locally and overseas, including those from ASCAP (U.S.), Sir Edward Youde Memorial Council and Newly Published Music Competition (NFA – U.S.).