Interweaving Sound and Poetic Imagination:
Reimagining Wang Jianzhong’s Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms
This performance-presentation explores the intersection of musical heritage and contemporary artistic imagination through Wang Jianzhong’s piano transcription Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms (梅花三弄). Rooted in the aesthetics of the guqin (古琴), the work embodies a refined sound world characterised by expressive subtlety, flexible rhythm, resonance and timbral nuance.
The presentation examines how these guqin-inspired concepts can be translated into contemporary pianistic language. Rather than simply reproducing traditional instrumental idioms, the performance considers how they can be reimagined through the piano. Poetry forms a further dimension of the exploration, with classical Chinese verse associated with the plum blossom—an enduring symbol of resilience and purity—integrated through spoken or projected text. An original poem written in response to the music extends this dialogue between inherited and contemporary expression.
Through performance, discussion and poetic creation, the presentation considers how transcription and traditional aesthetics can converge with contemporary artistic imagination, suggesting that engagement with cultural heritage can generate rather than constrain new artistic possibilities.
Dr Koo Siaw Sing
Dr Koo Siaw Sing is a pianist and educator at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore, where he teaches Keyboard Studies and Social History of the Piano. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Oregon and previously served as Assistant Professor of Piano at Augustana College, Illinois.
As a performer-scholar, his research and artistic practice focus particularly on Chinese piano music, alongside interests in performance practice and pedagogy. Through lecture-performances and presentations, he explores the intersections of musical heritage, performance and pedagogy. He has presented and performed at international conferences including the Australasia Piano Pedagogy Conference, MTNA Conference, World Piano Pedagogy Conference and Performers(’) Present Symposium.
YST Conservatory of Music