New Composition by Music Professor Huang Ruo Receives World Premiere by Albany Symphony Orchestra

The Albany Symphony Orchestra premiered a new composition by Conservatory of Music faculty member Huang Ruo in a concert March 14 in Troy, N.Y. The piece, entitled “The Color Yellow,” uses the sheng, a 3,000- year-old ancestor of the organ. Wu Wei, a world-renowned sheng player, was the soloist for the performance.

Ruo’s work is recognized for blending Chinese sounds with Western techniques and Western instruments and  has been performed by such prominent ensembles as the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Born in China, Ruo won the prestigious Henry Mancini Award at the 1995 International Film and Music Festival in Switzerland at the age of 19. Soon after, he received a commission from a group at Oberlin College, where he eventually earned his bachelor’s degree. He received his master’s degree from the Juilliard School and is working on his PhD with composer Sam Adler.