Photo: Composer Vincent Ho | photo by Bo Huang
From natural scenes of beauty to mystical dreamscapes and vivid characters of villainy, a dynamic assortment of music awaits in SANDMAN’S CASTLE from composer Vincent Ho. Between explorations of uncharted territories with tam-tam and music boxes and thoughtful juxtapositions of the drumset with mainstays in classical music, Ho pulls out all of the stops with the renowned featured performers, and his dexterous compositional tool-kit throughout.
Today, Vincent Ho is our featured artist in “The Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn about Vincent’s fascination with the expansive percussion instrument family, and the creative journey he hopes listeners will embark on when hearing this album…
When did you realize that you wanted to be an artist?
I was inspired to become a composer after watching the movie “Amadeus” when I was 14 years old. As soon as the movie was done, I rushed to my piano and composed my first piano piece. After that, I knew there was no turning back.
What was your most unusual performance, or the most embarrassing thing that happened to you during a performance?
When my piece Kickin’ It was programmed at a concert in Calgary, I was asked to say a few words as a way of introducing the piece to the audience. Prior to this I had a few beers and chatted with some friends. When I got on stage to introduce my piece, I forgot which work of mine they were playing so I ended up looking around to see the instruments on stage and I was reminded that it was Kickin’ It that was about to be performed.
If you could spend creative time anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Paris. I studied there in my youth one summer and it changed my life. I’ve been wanting to return for 25 years but haven’t had the opportunity to do so.
If you could instantly have expertise performing one instrument, what instrument would that be?
Percussion. There are SOOO many instruments and musical possibilities within that performance practice that would keep me continually inspired.
What was your favorite musical moment on the album?
Every moment within the album is a favorite musical moment. They all have their own stories on how the recordings were made.
Is there a specific feeling that you would like communicated to audiences in this work?
The only thing I hope the album communicates to audiences is the creative journey I’ve had until now that one experiences when listening through it from beginning to end.
Vincent Ho is a multi-award winning composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, and theatre music. His works have been described as “brilliant and compelling” by The New York Times and hailed for their profound expressiveness and textural beauty, leaving audiences talking about them with great enthusiasm. His many awards and recognitions have included three Juno Award nominations, Harvard University’s Fromm Music Commission, The Canada Council for the Arts’ “Robert Fleming Prize,” ASCAP’s “Morton Gould Young Composer Award,” four SOCAN Young Composers Awards, and CBC Radio’s Audience Choice Award (2009 Young Composers’ Competition).
