Subsonic Pulse was originally composed for a low wind quartet (2 bass clarinets & 2 bassoons) in the spring of 2023 for the Akropolis Chamber Music Institute. In October, I arranged it for a reed quintet.

In this piece, I utilized the low register of each instrument to craft a captivating and vibrating low-frequency soundscape. The bass clarinet is one of my favorite instruments; therefore, while writing this piece, I intended to include many massive solo sections for it. As I delved into the process of composing this piece, my fascination with low-frequency sound became an all-encompassing obsession.

I aimed to make this piece low, loud, and fast, as the title Subsonic Pulse implies. Each movement was titled based on its tempo. Fun fact, the second movement was originally named The Slow Movement, though the performers at its premiere didn't find the tempo slow at all. That's why I changed it to The Medium Fast Movement.

(Wenbin Lyu, October 15, 2023)

2023 - Fivemind Reeds Call for Scores; winner

March 21, 2024; TUTTI New Arts Festival; Denison University; Granville, OH; UCelli

November 15, 2023; Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; Cincinnati, OH; BARQ

October 21, 2023; Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; Cincinnati, OH; Hub New Music

August 10 & 11 & 13, 2023 (premiere); Bay View Music Festival; Petoskey, MI; ACMI