BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
In 2016, Kezia Yap took part in a workshop that would see her develop a composition under some of the strongest guidance Australia has to offer. Renowned composer Matthew Hindson helped fuel the fire of Kezia’s new work for orchestra – and now, two years on, you’ll get the chance to hear it.
This month, the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra will perform her composition eggshell, alongside a program filled with Debussy, Prokofiev, and Tchaikovsky.
Before the event, we chat with this Japan-based Australian composer about what she learnt from her educational experience with KPO, and what others can do to host a productive workshop for composers, too.
Kezia, your piece eggshell will be performed by KPO this month. What’s it all about?
eggshell was an opportunity to explore an idea of sonic and musical fragility, and how it can be expressed through a large ensemble. A lot of the piece focuses on building shifting textures with singular lines, with the aim of creating a sense of delicacy despite the density of the texture, and contrasting the power of single instruments with the full force of the orchestra.
At that point, I was, and still am, interested in interaction, how it can contribute to allowing music to adapt to its performance context as well as creating a sense of organicism within the music. I had previously begun exploring ideas around this through solo and chamber mediums, however had never had the opportunity to experiment within the context of a large ensemble.
The piece is constructed using aleatoric lines to create a sense of organic growth, and to try to encourage each player to stay present within the music, and to listen and engage with the piece through their own interpretations of the aleatoric material.
Tell us about your time in the KPO’s composer workshop in 2016. What lessons did you learn that you still carry with you today?
I was one of three composers taking part in the workshop that year, alongside Alex Turley and Solomon Frank. Each of us had wildly different pieces and very different goals that we wanted to achieve through the workshop, and we were very lucky to have Matthew Hindson guiding us. He has a wealth of knowledge, especially in working with orchestras and writing effectively for them.
I learnt a lot from workshopping each piece, not just from my own. The experience has contributed to my current practice, especially with regards to considering space when writing for orchestra, or any medium, really. The orchestra is an incredibly powerful force, and I learnt that it’s important not to forget the energy that is required to create such sounds. I also learnt to appreciate how silence and quiet contrast can elevate the power of the orchestra, and vice versa.
I learnt a lot from the other composers, Alex and Solly. They’re both so talented, and incorporated both conceptually and musically interesting ideas into their pieces. I learnt a lot throughout the workshop through feedback and conversation with them. They brought different perspectives that helped enhance my own understanding of the piece.
The workshop was a great way to gain experience working with an orchestra. Working with chamber musicians can usually be fairly straight-forward because you can speak and work directly with them. However, working with orchestra requires slightly different interactions, and it was great to be able to gain some hands-on experience in representing yourself as a composer during rehearsal.
Last but certainly not least, I learnt not to take feedback too much to heart. It’s hard sometimes as composition can be such a personal expression, and bad feedback can suck. But I learnt that I need to take a step back from my music sometimes in order to let it grow and improve.
On the flip side, as a composer, what do you need in a workshop environment?
Workshop environments should be supportive and encouraging, and a safe space to try out new ideas, even if they don’t work.
Workshops should never be a give-and-take transaction, but rather a sharing of information and ideas. They can often be a daunting experience for composers, especially when you’re sitting in front of as many musicians as are in an orchestra.
It’s important to have some sort of structure and direction to the workshop – whether it is led by the composer, or by a conductor or musician. While open formats can often lend themselves to the cultivation of new and interesting ideas, I think structure is needed to be able to get the most out of your time in the workshop, especially when you’re on some sort of schedule.
Logistically, it’s always great to also be able to have some kind of documentation of the workshop, whether it is recorded in its entirety, or whether the composer gets a recording of the piece at the end. It’s not only important to the process of writing and polishing a piece, but also it’s important to be able to quantify the experience, whether it be for grant or course applications, or your portfolio.
As important as it is for the workshop to be able to provide for the composer, I think it’s also important to keep in mind what the composer is bringing to the workshop. Because a lot of the time, I find that you get out of a workshop what you put into it.
So you’re now based in Tokyo? How has your experience composing in Japan differed to that of composing in Australia?
It hasn’t changed much, yet – I’ve only been here for a couple of months, and I’m slowly learning to navigate my way around, and finding what’s happening in the new music scene here.
I’m hoping to just be able to stay open to new inspiration and ideas whenever they may come. I am interested to see how the change in lifestyle and pace will influence my creative output.
However, I’ve found the change in scenery quite inspiring and I feel more motivated to create. While living in Australia will certainly never lack inspiration for me, I think of Iiving in Tokyo as a way of keeping things fresh creatively, and as a reminder to keep trying new things in my music. Tokyo is full of avenues of new inspiration and ideas to chase, and there is so much going on all the time which is exciting!
What’s on the horizon for you, Kezia?
I will definitely be pursuing some kind of postgraduate study in the next few years. One of my goals for the next year or so is to expand on my exploration of the relationship between sound and space, and by creating a site-specific piece while I’m here in Japan.
In terms of the big picture, I’m just going where my ears take me. I’m not sure where I’ll be in 10, or even five years. But wherever I might be, I hope to still be enjoying writing and discovering new things in music as I am now, whether I’m doing the same thing, or if I’ve completely 180’d and am doing something different.
See Kezia Yap’s work eggshells in the concert Tchaikovsky & Prokofiev with the KPO, Willoughby Symphony Choir, and choirs from Barker College and Abbotsleigh (led by conductor Peter Ellis) at 7.30pm November 3, The Concourse. Did you catch our interview with soloist Benett Tsai?
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