Purchase College Lecturer Wins Pulitzer Prize in Music: VIDEO

HARRISON, NY — Du Yun, a lecturer in the School of the Arts at Purchase College, has been awarded a Pulitzer Prize in music for her groundbreaking operatic work about human trafficking, Angel’s Bone. The $15,000 prize is for distinguished musical composition by an American that has had its first performance or recording in the United States during the year.

The Pulitzer jury described it as a “bold operatic work that integrates vocal and instrumental elements and a wide range of styles into a harrowing allegory for human trafficking in the modern world.”

Angel’s Bone was first produced in New York City in January 2016. at at the Protoype Festival. The piece includes a libretto by Royce Vavrek.

Du Yun, who is known for her cutting edge work, told NPR that “When we look at human trafficking, we always think that it's far away from us. We all have our own narrative of what human trafficking is supposed to be, but if you do a little research, human trafficking happens, in many different forms and shapes, right in our backyard."

She currently teaches Electroacoustic Music and Intro to World Music at Purchase College.

“We at Purchase are all deeply proud of Du Yun’s remarkable award," James Undercofler, Director of the Conservatory of Music, said in a statement. "Her music, her teaching and she, herself, demonstrate a far-reaching imagination and cunning spirit. She is a treasure, without question.”

Born and raised in Shanghai, China, and currently based in New York, Du Yun is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, performance artist, activist, and curator for new music, working at the intersection of orchestral, opera, and chamber music, theatre, cabaret, oral tradition, public performance, sound installation, electronics, and noise.

The Pulitzer committee posted this as part of her biography:

Hailed by The New York Times as a leading figure in China’s new generation of composers, Du Yun’s music is championed by some of today’s finest performing artists, ensembles, orchestras and organizations. The New York Times says Du Yun as “cutting-edge… to whom the term ‘young composer’ could hardly do justice; ” “re-invents herself daily… so does her music,” (TimeOut-NYC); “heralds a significant voice” (Financial Times) “…the strongest impression made yet” (by De Rode Leeuw, Amsterdam) and “…one senses the exceptional ear, exploration and the results are impeccably powerful” (by Le Devoir, Montréal); Musical America, ASCAP Playback Magazine, NPR, Sveriges Radio (Sweden), Radio Canada and others have featured her profile. Known as “protean” and “chameleonic”, the National Public Radio (USA) has recently voted her as one of 100 composers under 40.

Du Yun’s music can be heard on the New Focus, Oxingale, ATMA Classique, and Deutsche Grammophon labels. An alumna of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Oberlin Conservatory (BM), and Harvard University (PhD), her principle composition teachers include Deng Erbo, Randolph Coleman, Joshua Fineberg, Bernard Rands, and Mario Davidovsky.

“We congratulate Du Yun on this accomplishment," said Purchase College President Thomas J. Schwarz. "We’re proud that her unique voice and dedication to expanding the definition of classical music is being recognized by this prestigious award. We’re grateful that she is equally dedicated to teaching the next generation of composers at Purchase College.”

Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspiration for Purchase was to create a dynamic campus that combined conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences.

PHOTO credit Matthew Jelacic/Courtesy of the artist

VIDEO: Abigail Fischer sings "Mrs. X.E.'s Mirror Scene" from Angel's Bone. Contributors include Julian Wachner, music direction; Trinity Wall Street Choir; Michael McQuilken, stage direction. Filmed live in performance at 3-Legged Dog in NYC during the Prototype Festival 2016.