Tony K.T. Leung was born in Hong Kong in 1963 and immigrated to Canada in 1970. As a teenager in Toronto, Leung was able to study Chinese instrumental music and to learn to play the erhu. As a youth he arranged music for Chinese orchestra, which began his interest in western music and composition. After high school, Leung began to play the cello and to develop his interest in western music. From 1989 to 1992 he studied composition and theory privately with University of Toronto professor Chan Ka Nin. Leung’s music is influenced by Chinese, western, and electroacoustic techniques and sounds. He writes for various combinations of instruments, both Chinese and western, some with voice and has also written for orchestra. Leung’s music has been performed and broadcast in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia. Leung has served as Composer-in-Residence at Peoples Christian Academy (2003-2004) and Conductor of the Toronto Chinese Orchestra (2004-2005).

Programme Note, In the beginning

The form of In the beginning consists of 7 sections, corresponding to the creation of the world in 7 days, as described by the biblical account (Genesis 1).

• 1. When light first shone. Against a background of string ostinato, the tone colors of the winds depict light that sometimes is a warm glow, at other times is bright and harsh.
• 2. Between the waters. Minimal, quasi-improvisatory utterances depict the expansive sky.
• 3. Seeds of plenty. The central theme is presented for the first time.
• 4. Dance of the stars. Pizzicato strings offer an atonal exposition to accompany the dancing notes of the glockenspiel.
• 5. Song of the birds. Birds of all types sing their songs through the woodwinds while the strings add a warbling song of their own.
• 6. Gazing at the moon. A quotation from the Chinese ancient melody (yue er gao -- moon rises high) signifies the arrival of man as he admires the beauty of the moon.
• 7. Blessings of the promise. The theme from Seeds of plenty is proclaimed in a fanfare.

Credits: Tony K.T. Leung
Creator: Tony K.T. Leung
Subject: In the beginning
Date Created: 2007

Interview, Leung’s Cultural Influences: Hong Kong to Canada

“In Chinese music, emphasis is placed on the horizontal movement of themes. Functional harmony is a foreign import. These characteristics but with the addition of counterpoint, are also true of my music.” – T.L.

Leung was born in the multi-cultural city of Hong Kong, a city that at the time was heavily influenced by Western and Chinese music. He moved to Canada when he was only seven years old. “My musical identity,” he explains, “is a component of my overall identity. I am a Canadian Chinese Christian husband and parent, technologically informed, art music composer finding his path in the 21st century.” As a teenager in the multi-cultural city of Toronto, Leung’s first musical experiences were largely within his Chinese community. “I was so involved with a Chinese orchestra as a teenager,” he writes, “that I never played a western musical instrument during high school.”

In his own compositions, Leung continues to write for Chinese instruments, and to incorporate elements of Chinese traditional music. “I rarely quote [directly from a folk song source], so when I do, it is for its symbolism.” An example of such quotation is included in his featured work, the seven-movement tone poem In the beginning. To symbolize the arrival of man on the sixth day (and in the sixth movement), Leung quotes an ancient Chinese melody he recalled hearing in his youth, “The Moon Rises High.” Originally intended for an ensemble of traditional Chinese instruments, Leung instead composed this tone poem for a Western orchestra.

Credits: Dr. Mary Ingraham
Creator: Dr. Mary Ingraham
Subject: Tony K.T. Leung | In the beginning
Date Created: 2007

CD Cover, Masterworks of the New Era

Masterworks of the New Era, featuring music by Tony K.T. Leung.

Credits: Bart Morris (design); Glen McClure (photograph)
Creator: Bart Morris (design); Glen McClure (photograph)
Subject: CD Cover | Tony K.T. Leung
Date Created: 2006