Title: The Clexical Dialogues Volume III by Hana Tsai
ISBN: 979-8161918142
This book brings together eleven interviews I recorded for Clexical between 2024 and 2026. The people in it are composers, performers and educators who work in contemporary classical music.
I am a violinist, and most of what I know about composers comes from their scores. The composers I grew up playing are not around to be asked about their music. These artists are, and I wanted to hear how they would describe their own work.
I prepared questions about how a piece begins, what makes new music hard for some listeners, and what might bring more people to it. The answers often started somewhere I had not expected. Pablo Santiago Chin’s insect opera began with a video he took of a worm beside a lake. Wang Lu wrote a violin piece during a winter when she carried an air pollution monitor with her. Adam Glaser built a theme from the zip code of the town he was writing for. Dawn Avery taught me a Mohawk greeting that asks, “Is there great peace?”
I also asked several of the women composers what it has been like to work in a field where nearly all the music I grew up playing was written by men. Arlene Sierra described “a long history of erasure,” and Dawn Avery pointed out how many women composers have never been recorded. Their answers made me want to look for music I had not known was there.
Title: The Clexical Dialogues Volume II by Edward Lee
ISBN: 979-8264902666
Welcome to The Contemporary Classical Dialogues. I’m Edward Lee, a violist deeply drawn to the stories behind today’s music. This project grew from a wish to understand how composers think, create, and find meaning in sound—and to invite readers to share that curiosity.
This book began from a belief that contemporary classical music feels less distant when we meet the people behind it. Too often, new works seem intimidating not because of their sound, but because listeners lack a sense of connection to the artists who create them. These dialogues aim to bridge that gap.
Each composer featured here brings a distinct voice and story. From Texu Kim’s explorations of identity to Michael Pisaro-Liu’s meditations on silence, from Shuying Li’s cultural synthesis to Miguel del Águila’s commitment to artistic freedom, these interviews reveal how composers think, what drives them, and how they sustain creativity in today’s world.
I hope these pages inspire you to listen with curiosity, discover living composers whose work moves you, and perhaps start your own conversations about the music of our time.
Title: My Dear Composers
ISBN: 9798343992670
Meet Leah, an inquisitive 7-year-old whose curiosity about modern classical music is sparked by her older sister, Laurentia, a talented musician with a deep love for contemporary composers. In My Dear Composers, Leah embarks on a fun-filled journey of discovery, sending a series of memos packed with questions to Laurentia. In response, Laurentia delivers entertaining and informative replies, introducing Leah—and young readers—to the vibrant world of modern classical music.
Through playful letters, readers will learn about famous contemporary composers, their unique styles, and the exciting new directions of classical music today. The back-and-forth exchanges make complex musical concepts easy to understand and enjoyable for kids. With Leah as their guide, young readers are invited to explore music in a friendly, conversational style, turning learning into an adventure.
Perfect for kids just beginning to explore contemporary classical music, My Dear Composers is a lively, engaging introduction to the wonders of modern composers, sure to inspire a lifelong love of music.
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Title: The Clexical Dialogues
ISBN: 9798340598882
We are thrilled to announce the publication of "The Clexical Dialogues," a groundbreaking book by a violinist and contemporary music enthusiast, Jinan Laurentia Woo. Independently published, this book is now available to all major booksellers.
"The Clexical Dialogues" offers readers an innovative insight into the world of contemporary classical music through a series of in-depth interviews and analyses. Jinan Laurentia Woo, leveraging her expertise and passion, guides readers through the complex layers of modern compositions, fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of this vibrant art form.
In this book, Laurentia introduces the concept of "Clexical" — a blend of 'classical' and 'lexical' — to describe her unique method of analyzing music as if deciphering a sophisticated language. Through compelling interviews with some of today's most forward-thinking composers, she provides a unique perspective on their creative processes, inspirations, and the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary music.
