U UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: April 29, 2009 I, Yoomi Jun Kim , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance It is entitled: The Evolution of Alexina Louie's Piano Music: Reflections of a Soul Searching Journey Yoomi Kim Student Signature: This work and its defense approved by: Committee Chair: Joel Hoffman, DMA Eugene Pridonoff Elisabeth Pridonoff Approval of the electronic document: I have reviewed the Thesis/Dissertation in its final electronic format and certify that it is an accurate copy of the document reviewed and approved by the committee. Committee Chair signature: Joel Hoffman, DMA The Evolution of Alexina Louie’s Piano Music: Reflections of a Soul Searching Journey A document submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts In the Keyboard Studies Division of the College-Conservatory of Music April 2009 By Yoomi J. Kim
[email protected] 2732 Sooke Road Victoria, BC V9B 1Y9 Canada BM, Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, 1999 MM, University of Montreal, 2001 MM, University of Cincinnati (Choral Conducting), 2004 Committee Chair: Dr. Joel Hoffman ABSTRACT This document examines the piano music of Canada’s foremost contemporary art music composer Alexina Louie (b. 1949) who is repeatedly praised for drawing out virtuosic yet sonorous techniques and coloristic effects on the piano. The significance of investigating Louie’s music is reflected in the extensive articles, surveys, and doctoral theses. However, these previous studies focus largely on her exotic Asian influences as they are written before Louie’s new intentional stylistic changes in recent years which incorporate jazz and blues idioms.