PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser

Part I of the dissertation is comprised of a multi-movement composition featuring the erhu, and string orchestra. "Concerto for Erhu and String Orchestra" is influenced by my interest and continuous study of musics of the world. As a pupil of both ethnomusicology and composition, I seek the confluence of these disciplines as a result of my research, and therefore many of my works are influenced by non-Western music. The concerto follows this path. It takes influence from traditional and contemporary erhu repertoire, merging these influences with my own experience in Western music and creates an intercultural composition. This work not only features music of Chinese origins, but also features musical elements of African, Eastern European, Korean, Indonesian, and Brazilian music, as these are areas that I have focused on during my studies. My music is deeply influenced by my study of music from these different cultures and subtly weaves together references to these musics through my use rhythmic patterns, melodic tendencies, and harmonic relationships. Part II: We live in a globalized time in which there is a high degree of exchange of information and a rapidly increasing sense of collision of cultures, identities, and meanings. One arena where this is visible is new pieces commissioned from Indonesian composers by the Bandung Philharmonic, the first professional orchestra created in Bandung, Indonesia in 2015. The very nature of this project entails a high degree of consciousness on the part of the composers, who are aware of their Indonesian-ness and that they are writing for a historically Western ensemble. To what degree and how do these composers express their Indonesian-ness in their works and to what degree do they assimilate Western music and identity? The purpose of this document is to define a way of conducting intercultural analysis. This approach is sensitive to the emic meanings from each culture, but that eventually offers an etic readin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Adam Roberts (Committee Co-Chair); Gustav Medicus (Committee Member); Jennifer Johnstone (Committee Member); Joshua Albrecht (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Asian Studies; Composition; Cultural Anthropology; Ethnic Studies; Multicultural Education; Music; Music Education; Pacific Rim Studies; Performing Arts