title

crowns with clowns

year of composition

2025

duration

7′

written

for the new music new haven

instrumentation

string quartet

performances

• october 9, 2025 | new haven, united states

jaewon wee, hyein koo · violin

ayano nakamura · viola

michael bridges · cello

• october 19, 2025 | new york city, united states

jaewon wee, hyein koo · violin

ayano nakamura · viola

michael bridges · cello

program note

The piece unfolds as a waltz that never ends. Its steady cycle creates tension and leads to a reflection on the nature of power and the obsession of those unable to escape it. Behind the elegance of the dance lies the weight of fixation and anxiety, where crowns and clowns coexist as inseparable images of authority and excess.