Shih

Shih (born 29 November 1950 in Taipei, Taiwan) is a naturalized Austrian composer. Shih has been living and working in Vienna since 1974. In Europe Shih forgoes his full Chinese name due to experience with incorrect writing and pronunciation. However, in Taiwan he is still known by his full name Shih Chieh (Chinese 施捷).

Early life and education Shih was born on 29 November 1950 in Taipei, Taiwan. Shih studied composition and harp at the Vienna University for Music and Performing Arts, graduating in 1983.

Career He has been living and working in Vienna since 1974 as a freelance composer, teacher, and artistic director of the Pacific Youth Orchestra Vienna, founded in 2002. He has been awarded special merits for regularly presenting contemporary Austrian music in China.

His own works – chamber music, ballet, lied, orchestra works, opera and oratorio – have been performed in many European und Asian countries, as well as in the United States, and regularly appear both on TV and radio (ORF, ARD, MDR, RAI etc.). Shih's international breakthrough came with his opera „Vatermord“ ("Death of a Father"), first performed in Dresden in 1994 and followed by performances at Leipzig Oper and in Nuremberg, Erlangen, Vienna and Berlin.

Further important steps include the oratorio, „Lebend’ges Land“, in Münster; the music-installation, "Prayer", in Taiwan (on the occasion of the centennial of the Republic of China); and the open-ended cycle, „Ein Takt für...“ ("A Measure for..."), which established Shih's individual style of transforming psychical processes into music for all existing instruments, either in solo performance or in combination with others.

Musical style The music critic Dr. Christian Baier has described Shih's intentions as the "search for form as well as formal scepticism, richness of expression as well as absolute restraint and austerity. His music allows the performer rich space for free interpretation".

Shih himself explains: "My music is not traditional, but conscious of tradition. As a composer, I am part of a long tradition, and I have to deal with this tradition. Of course I can turn my back, say farewell to tradition and live wholly for the experiment. But in doing so, one soon becomes lonely – not only as a human being, but also as an artist. It is necessary to be conscious of one’s cultural-historical past to arrive at an artistic, i.e. individual present."

List of compositions 1981: Epitaph I (flute, oboe, clarinet and basson) 1982: Dancing Song – for flute and seven percussion instruments 1983: Dejaviews (three Dance Pieces for Two) – for Piano 1983: The Night of 15. August – Symphony in three Movements 1983: Drei Lieder - 3 poems from Li Ho for Soprano and Piano 1983: Dance Suite – for strings, flute and harp 1984: Hera or The Search for Manis - for strings orchestra 1984: Sonata – for violoncello 1987: Nestor’s dream - for flute 1988: Triptych in L (clarinet, violoncello and piano) 1989: A Measure for clarinet and piano 1989: Spuren. ("Traces") 4 Lieder on poems of Franz Hrastnik for lower voice and piano 1990: Epitaph II (clarinet, basset, horn, Wagner tuba, 2 bassoons) 1991: A Measure for flute and organ 1991: A Measure for piano 1991: A Measure for violoncello 1992: A Measure for violin and piano 1993: A Measure for harp and string quartet 1994: Vatermord (Death of a Father). Chamber opera in nine episodes 1995: ...Night falls upon the River (Part I of River-Trilogy). Symphonic music based on themes of Marguerite Duras 1995: A Measure for alto saxophone and organ 1996: Crossing the River (Part II of River-Trilogy). Chamber music episode on themes of Marguerite Duras 1996: The last waltz - for Piano 1997: Lebend'ges Land / Living Country oratorio for soloists, two mixed choirs, children's choir and orchestra 1997: Secession. Dialogue for guitar and the other twelve 1999: A Measure for guitar 1999: A Measure for saxophone quartet 2001: A Measure for viola and piano 2002: A Measure for pi-pa and string quartet 2004: A Measure for harp 2004: A Measure for two pianos and two percussion players 2005: A Measure for clarinet and string quartet 2005: A Measure for piano and four strings 2005: A Measure for pi-pa 2005: The Separation (Part III of River-Trilogy). Symphonic music in one movement based on themes of Marguerite Duras 2006: A Measure for nine (Violin, viola da gamba, erhu, guitar, pi-pa, lute, clarinet / bass clarinet, Harpsichord, percussions) 2008: A Measure for saxophone and accordion 2008: A Measure for any string and three percussion players 2009: Requiem for piano, string orchestra and membranophones 2010: Wanderschaft (Wanderings) symphonic song on a poem by Georg Trakl for soprano and chamber orchestra 2011: Prayer – sound installation for a vocalist, two female choirs, two children’s choirs, orchestra and 72 timpani 2012: A Measure for six percussion instruments and one player (marimba, vibraphone, crotales set, 3 bongos, cymbal, conga) 2015: Silent Sea, sound installation for large orchestra, mixed choir and children's choir (poems of Shih) 2015: Dancing Sea, sound installation for 11 players 2018: Clouds and Waves, sound sculpture for chamber orchestra, mixed choir and children's choir (poem by Rabindranath Tagore) 2021: A Measure for Trombone 2023: A Measure for Tuba and Piano 2024: A Measure for Trombone and Piano

Prizes and awards 1984: Fellowship of Alban Berg Foundation 1985: Prize-winner in the Composing Competition of the Republic of China 1994: "Blaue Brücke" Composition Award of Dresden Center for Contemporary Music (for his opera "Vatermord") 2005: Gold medal for services to the City of Vienna

Selected recordings Shih: Kammermusik - Die Überquerung des Flusses; Ein Takt für Neun; Ein Takt für Klavier & 4 Streicher; Wanderschaft; Die Trennung. Anu Komsi (soprano), Annika Vavic (piano), Ensemble "Die Reihe"; National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Georg Fritzsch, Chien Wen-Pin Capriccio (record label), 2010