Read on to get to know more about Yixiu!
Originally from Kunming, China, Yixiu Yang is a sophomore piano student studying under the tutelage of Daniel Epstein. She is the President of the MSM Lyra Society and the curator of Music, Light, and the Universe.
Yixiu: As an astronomy organization of MSM, Lyra Society is strongly dedicated to exploring connections between music, science, and the natural world.
Music, Light and the Universe is our first concert, presenting music inspired by light, structure, time, and cosmic phenomena. Rather than framing science as a theme to be explained, the project treats music itself as way of thinking—an invitation to listen differently and to reflect on how sound can mirror scientific ideas and patterns.
Yixiu: Our program brings together works from different periods that engage with ideas related to light, structure, time, and the natural world. Pieces such as Bach’s Art of Fugue explore musical order and symmetry, while Debussy’s Clair de lune and Ravel’s Jeux d’eau reflect light and movement through sound. Contemporary works by composers such as Arvo Pärt, Camille Pépin, and Max Richter approach time and resonance in a more meditative way, using repetition and harmonic stillness. On the other hand, our program also includes music inspired by modern science and film, such as themes from Interstellar and Oppenheimer, which engage directly with concepts of space, energy, and transformation.
Yixiu: Shortly after founding Lyra Society last September, I began thinking about creating a concert that would connect music with science in a more intuitive and experiential way. That idea took a clearer shape when I watched the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition and encountered Camille Pépin’s Iridescence–glace. My immediate reaction was how precisely and sensitively the music reflects natural phenomena through sound! From there, I began building the program around works that had long stayed with me, such as Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel, which I had known since childhood. As these pieces came together, the concept expanded organically, with new connections emerging between structure, light, time, and perception. The final program grew out of this gradual process of listening, association, and discovery.
Yixiu: I hope our audience leaves feeling curious and expanded—perhaps thinking differently about how music relates to the world around us! Even if they don’t consciously identify the scientific references, I hope they experience a sense of wonder and connection that stays with them after leaving the gate of 130 Claremont.
Yixiu: Mr. Ryuichi Sakamoto, why did you hate travel so much?
Yixiu: There are so many things I’m looking forward to this semester! But the Lyra Society concert is at the very top of the list. Working collaboratively on Music, Light, and the Universe has been especially meaningful, and I’m excited to finally share it with an audience.
In late March, I will also be performing in a concert dedicated to women composers, presenting works by contemporary composers from the United States, Armenia/Lebanon, and China. In addition, I am preparing a solo recital later this semester titled The World of Yesterday, inspired by the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig. The program will focus on the Austro-German classical tradition alongside modern works, exploring how historical repertoire and contemporary music can complement one another and keep musical tradition alive and resonant today.
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