Festival leaders invited Fung to write an orchestral piece to mark the 250th using “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a starting point. The resulting creation, which she finished in mid-May, contains a raucous mix of recognizable quotations from the American national anthem as well as those of China and Canada — a reflection of her mixed heritage.  

“Fung’s initial inspiration — and the core of the libretto — was Claire Wahmanholm’s poem “O,” using words such as “osprey,” “ocean,” and “ozone” to speak poetically about the deteriorating climate. Wahmanholm also helped shape the student contributions. The result is a text of surprising range and shocking twists: The beautiful “natural” world as first described is revealed to be an artificial replacement; we find ourselves in a harsh, barren reality that humanity could have prevented.

The Jasper String Quartet and pianist Myra Huang provide an illusory lushness reminiscent of Britten in the opening movement, “November Blooming,” with musical hints of trouble on words like “ominous.” This contrasts with the insect-like, threatening scurry of “Lament,” revealing the environmental truth. “O” follows, growing slowly upward from the bottom of the performers’ registers, textured with fast string crossings and burbling piano left hand.”

Performance of Parade by ROCO, available to stream for 30 days!

Composer Vivian Fung talks about her new concerto for violin and percussion, Goddess/Insect, which she wrote for violinist Kristin Lee and Sandbox Percussion.

“Fung’s Lamenting Earth had its world premiere with Phan in 2024. She set high school students’ climate-change poetry to music and the result is mesmerizing.”

Released in October 2023, The Jasper String Quartet’s Insects and Machines: Quartets of Vivian Fung will receive the Album of the Year Award…Insects and Machines is Jasper Quartet’s eighth album and the first commercial release of Fung’s first four quartets. It received notable critical acclaim, including from Strings Magazine that praised the album for its “intensely dramatic energy… demonstrating both their advocacy of new music and their transcendent mastery.”