Nor Hope is a piece for soprano and electronics that I wrote in the summer of 2021. The music was inspired by William Butler Yeats's poem "Death." The vocalist sings a melody without words, showcasing the radiant high register of the soprano's voice. Most of the electronic sounds in the piece are generated and processed by programming software. I used the electronics to create a tranquil soundscape that fits the mood of the poem.

In order to present the music at a digital concert during the pandemic, I created a music video that features soprano Stephany Svorinić performing in Salem. The video editing process allowed me to create a visual experience that enhanced the audience's engagement with the music.

(Wenbin Lyu, January 31, 2021)

Death by William Butler Yeats

Nor dread nor hope attend

A dying animal;

A man awaits his end

Dreading and hoping all;

Many times he died,

Many times rose again.

March 14, 2024; U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium; George Mason University Fairfax, VA; Jiajun Hou

February 8, 2024; ISU Faculty Artist Series; Indiana State University; Terre Haute, IN; Paul Bro

January 12, 2024; North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, Oklahoma State University; Stillwater, OK; jiajun Hou

November 6, 2023; International Society for Music Information Retrieval Politecnico di Milano, Leonardo Campus; Milan, Italy; Stephanie Susberich

October 28, 2023; MANTIS Festival of Electroacoustic Music; The University of Manchester; Manchester, England; Stephanie Susberich

September 14, 2023; Atemporánea Festival; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Stephanie Susberich

August 5, 2023; MOSAICfest; Stephanie Susberich

May 11, 2023; NoiseFloor; Staffordshire University; Stafford, UK; Stephany Svorinić

April 21, 2023; Earth Day Art Model Festival; IUPUI; Indianapolis, IN; Stephany Svorinić

March 22, 2023; CCM Sonic Explorations; Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; Cincinnati, OH; Jiajun Hou

February 4, 2023; Ussachevsky Memorial Festival of Electroacoustic Music; Pomona College; Claremont, CA; Melissa Givens

October 29, 2022; Research on Contemporary Composition Conference; University of North Georgia; Dahlonega, GA; Stephany Svorinić

October 1, 2022; Ircam Forum; New York University; New York City, NY; Stephany Svorinić

August 31, 2022; Australasian Computer Music Conference; Massey University; Wellington, New Zealand; Stephany Svorinić

July 4, 2022; International Computer Music Conference; University of Limerick; Limerick, Ireland; Stephany Svorinić

April 23, 2022; Electronic Music Midwest Festival; Lewis University; Romeoville, IL; Stephany Svorinić

October 19, 2021; CCM Sonic Explorations; Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; Cincinnati, OH; Stephany Svorinić

May 30, 2021 (premiere); 1:2:1 Online Music Intensive; Stephany Svorinić