Echoes of Hahoe / A Masked Reverie

Commissioned by New Music USA for acclaimed clarinetist Cecilia Kang, 'Echoes of Hahoe / A Masked Reverie' draws its aesthetic framework from the historic Hahoe Pyolshin-gut mask dance of Andong, South Korea. In the traditional ritual, exaggerated wooden masks embody archetypal characters whose social satire dissolves hierarchy. The piece pairs live virtuoso clarinet and piano gestures with interactive audio processing that samples, stretches, and re-synthesizes traditional Korean percussive timbres in real time.