Intercultural Two-Piano Repertoire: An Analysis of the Works of Chinese Female Composers Chen Yi, Alice Ping Yee Ho, and Fang Man

Abstract

AbstractThis study examines how Chinese cultural identity is expressed in the two-piano ensemble works of three contemporary living Chinese female composers: Chen Yi, Alice Ping Yee Ho, and Fang Man. Situating these works within the broader historical development of the two-piano medium and the development of piano music in China, including the integration of Western compositional techniques with Chinese music elements such as pentatonic systems, folk tradition, and instrumental idioms, the study builds on an overview of two-piano repertoire and intercultural musical exchange to establish a framework for analysis. Each of these composers occupies a significant position as a transnational artist, drawing on both Eastern and Western musical traditions. By focusing on Chen’s China West Suite (2007), a work shaped by Chinese regional folk materials, contrapuntal textures, and rhythmic vitality; Ho’s An Eastern Apparition (1994), which draws on the philosophical concept of yin and yang and translates it into contrasting timbral and atmospheric gestures; and Fang’s Two Colors (2001–2002), defined by the contrast between its two movements and its emphasis on texture inspired by György Ligeti (1923–2006) and sonic imagery from jingju, this study explores how these composers, each trained and professionally active across Asia and North America, articulate their intercultural identities through musical language. Drawing in part on composer interviews, including those with Ho and Fang, the study also considers how each composer reflects on her relationship to cultural heritage and compositional practice. Through detailed musical analysis, the study highlights each composer’s strategies for synthesizing traditional Chinese musical idioms, including pentatonic pitch materials, characteristic rhythmic and timbral gestures, and culturally rooted thematic ideas, with Western contemporary compositional techniques. In addition to focused analysis of these works, the dissertation surveys each composer’s broader piano output, including solo piano works, piano ensemble repertoire, and piano concertos, situating the selected two-piano compositions within their larger compositional trajectories and artistic development. Even though all three composers work with similar materials, they take different paths. Chen builds from folk sources, Ho shapes her music through philosophical ideas, and Fang focuses on sound and texture. The diversity suggests that intercultural composition unfolds through a range of individual approaches rather than a single fixed framework. The study also includes a pedagogical guide for pianists and educators, offering interpretive insights, technical considerations specific to two-piano performance, and ensemble strategies that support meaningful engagement with these works in both studio and concert settings. By centering the contributions of living Chinese female composers and situating their work within a transnational framework, this study contributes to a more inclusive understanding of contemporary piano ensemble literature. It further demonstrates the artistic and pedagogical value of this repertoire and encourages its continued exploration within both performance and scholarship.