Part of an extensive project conceived by Patrick Yim, assistant professor of violin, Tales from the Nine Bells, brings together music from rich and contrasting musical traditions—Chinese and Western.
Before delving into the extraordinary journey of this April’s performance, learn more about Patrick Yim and his passion for music below.
What inspired your love for music and when did you begin performing?
I trace my love of music back to formative concert-going experiences at the Honolulu Symphony (now the Hawaii Symphony) with my family. I started studying the violin at around the age of five and played in my middle school and high school orchestras and the Hawaii Youth Symphony before attending the Cleveland Institute of Music and Stony Brook University. I’m eternally grateful to my teachers, who inspired and encouraged me.
Are there specific themes or composers you’re particularly drawn to, and how do these choices reflect the identity of your performances?
Over the last several years, I’ve been studying, performing, and recording the music of Chinese and Chinese-American composers, and I’ve released three CDs—Digital Mist (Naxos), Memory (Navona), and New Waves (Albany)—that feature music by Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Qu Xiao-song, Fung Lam, Kai-Young Chan, Angel Lam, Austin Yip, and Michael-Thomas Foumai. I’m wrapping up a related CD project that includes the music of Chen Yi, Lei Liang, Doming Lam, Zhou Tian, Clarence Mak, Meilina Tsui, and Yao Chen.
In October 2024, New Focus Recordings will publish an album of my performances of solo violin music that I commissioned, including works by Juri Seo, John Liberatore, Pall Ragnar Palsson, Ilari Kaila, Takuma Itoh, and Matthew Schreibeis. To date, I’ve commissioned more than 40 works, and while collaborating with contemporary composers is an essential part of my creative activities, I also enjoy playing music by composers that initially made me fall in love with music, including Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Dvorak, Grieg, and Bartok. An album of Schumann’s music is currently in the works!
Which artists/composers inspire you?
Chen Yi and Zhou Long inspire me with their heartfelt compositions, devotion to music, and inspiring personal stories. It is a “dream come true” and a tremendous honor to host them at Notre Dame!
Are there any messages and/or feelings you’d like the audience to take away from this performance?
I hope the audience will enjoy the music and appreciate the groundbreaking compositional approach by Chen and Zhou, an approach that challenges conventional understanding of the possibilities afforded by Western instruments and ensembles. Through their deep familiarity with Western and Chinese musical traditions, they have awakened new sounds in “old” instruments.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Hiking is my favorite thing to do in the world. My favorite hiking spots so far have been Bukhansan National Park in South Korea, the Flatirons in Colorado, Sedona, and Banff National Park in Canada.
We hope you enjoyed learning more about Patrick Yim! Immerse yourself in the mesmerizing symphony of Yim, Chen, and Zhou, as they continue to redefine classical music this April.
April 14 at 4 p.m.
Tales from the Nine Bells
Music of Chen Yi and Zhou Long
Part of an extensive project conceived by Patrick Yim, assistant professor of violin, Tales from the Nine Bells brings together music from rich and contrasting musical traditions—Chinese and Western. A mesmerizing concert of works by the gifted duo Chen Yi and Zhou Long continue their storied careers as composers who transcend boundaries and inspire audiences worldwide. Delve into an extraordinary journey as Yim, Chen, and Zhou continue to redefine classical music.
Funding for this concert was provided in part through a grant from the Faculty Research Support Program at the University of Notre Dame.
Co-sponsored by the Department of Music.
