In this interview, composer Angel Lam shares her journey of discovering her musical abilities as a child in dance school in London. She recalls the moment when she was tasked with choreographing for an exam and realized her deep connection to melody. Angel further explains how she often hears music inspired by nature, her personal experiences, and when working on commissions.
One interesting aspect of Angel's creative process is her habit of keeping notes and journals of music she hears, which she later references for inspiration. She prefers to write notes by hand, finding a special connection to physically writing them down.
Angel's music is described as deeply felt, theatrical, and lyrical. Mindy is particularly struck by the emotion conveyed in one of Angel's festival pieces, which explores the idea of the heart being deeper than the ocean.
The highlight of this episode is the discussion of Angel's upcoming piece, "Secrets and Ice Garden." Inspired by her experiences in Japan and China, where she encountered magnificent ice sculptures, Angel shares how these massive works of art, created by young artists who risk damaging their hands due to the cold, have become the inspiration for her latest composition. The piece combines strings, piano, and even the chime of Westminster Abbey bells to create a magical and mesmerizing sound.
Angel also reveals that she was recently commissioned to create another piece for the QCSO. Having just completed it before her travels, she mentions the potential for rearranging compositions for different instruments and hints at the possibility of further movements.
Hear Secrets and Ice Garden on Local Listen February 9th and 11th @ 7:00 PM on 98.3 FM (90.3 FM)
