Shih (born 29 November 1950 in Taipei, Taiwan) is a naturalized Austrian composer. Shih has been living and working in Vienna since 1974. In Europe Shih forgoes his full Chinese name due to experience with incorrect writing and pronunciation. However in Taiwan he is still known by his full name Shih Chieh (Chinese 施捷).
Life and career
Shih studied composition and harp at the Vienna University for Music and Performing Arts, graduating in 1983. He has been living and working in Vienna since 1974 as a freelance composer, teacher, and artistic director of the Pacific Youth Orchestra Vienna, founded in 2002. He has been awarded special merits for regularly presenting contemporary Austrian music in China.
His own works – chamber music, ballet, lied, orchestra works, opera and oratorio – have been performed in many European und Asian countries, as well as in the United States, and regularly appear both on TV and radio (ORF, ARD, MDR, RAI etc.). Shih's international breakthrough came with his opera „Vatermord“ ("Death of a Father"), first performed in Dresden in 1994 and followed by performances at Leipzig Oper and in Nuremberg, Erlangen, Vienna and Berlin.
Further important steps include the oratorio, „Lebend’ges Land“, in Münster; the music-installation, "Prayer", in Taiwan (on the occasion of the centennial of the Republic of China); and the open-ended cycle, „Ein Takt für...“ ("A Measure for..."), which established Shih’s individual style of transforming psychical processes into music for all existing instruments, either in solo performance or in combination with others.
The music critic Dr. Christian Baier has described Shih’s intentions as the "search for form as well as formal scepticism, richness of expression as well as absolute restraint and austerity. His music allows the performer rich space for free interpretation".
Shih himself explains: "My music is not traditional, but conscious of tradition. As a composer, I am part of a long tradition, and I have to deal with this tradition. Of course I can turn my back, say farewell to tradition and live wholly for the experiment. But in doing so, one soon becomes lonely – not only as a human being, but also as an artist. It is necessary to be conscious of one’s cultural-historical past to arrive at an artistic, i.e. individual present."
1981: Epitaph I (flute, oboe, clarinet and basson)1982: Dancing Song – for flute and seven percussion instruments1983: Dejaviews (three Dance Pieces for Two) – for Piano1983: The Night of 15. August – Symphony in three Movements1983: Drei Lieder - 3 poems from Li Ho for Soprano and Piano1983: Dance Suite – for strings, flute and harp1984: Hera or The Search for Manis - for strings orchestra1984: Sonata – for violoncello1987: Nestor’s dream - for flute1988: Triptych in L (clarinet, violoncello and piano)1989: A Measure for clarinet and piano1989: Spuren. ("Traces") 4 Lieder on poems of Franz Hrastnik for lower voice and piano1990: Epitaph II (clarinet,basset, horn, Wagner tuba, 2 bassoons)1991: A Measure for flute and organ1991: A Measure for piano1991: A Measure for violoncello1992: A Measure for violin and piano1993: A Measure for harp and string quartet1994: Vatermord (Death of a Father). Chamber opera in nine episodes1995: ...Night falls upon the River (Part I of River-Trilogy). Symphonic music based on themes of Marguerite Duras1995: A Measure for alto saxophone and organ1996: Crossing the River (Part II of River-Trilogy). Chamber music episode on themes of Marguerite Duras1996: The last waltz - for Piano1997: Lebend'ges Land / Living Country oratorio for soloists, two mixed choirs, children’s choir and orchestra1997: Secession. Dialogue for guitar and the other twelve1999: A Measure for guitar1999: A Measure for saxophone quartet2001: A Measure for viola and piano2002: A Measure for pi-pa and string quartet2004: A Measure for harp2004: A Measure for two pianos and two percussion players2005: A Measure for clarinet and string quartet2005: A Measure for piano and four strings2005: A Measure for pi-pa2005: The Separation (Part III of River-Trilogy). Symphonic music in one movement based on themes of Marguerite Duras2006: A Measure for nine (Violin, viola da gamba, erhu, guitar, pi-pa, lute, clarinet / bass clarinet, Harpsichord, percussions)2008: A Measure for saxophone and accordion2008: A Measure for any string and three percussion players2009: Requiem for piano, string orchestra and membranophones2010: Wanderschaft (Wanderings) symphonic song on a poem by Georg Trakl for soprano and chamber orchestra2011: Prayer – sound installation for a vocalist, two female choirs, two children’s choirs, orchestra and 72 timpani2012: A Measure for six percussion instruments and one player (marimba, vibraphone, crotales set, 3 bongos, cymbal, conga)Prizes and awards
1984: Fellowship of Alban Berg Foundation1985: Prize-winner in the Composing Competition of the Republic of China1994: "Blaue Brücke" Composition Award of Dresden Center for Contemporary Music (for his opera "Vatermord")2005: Gold medal for services to the City of ViennaShih: Kammermusik - Die Überquerung des Flusses; Ein Takt für Neun; Ein Takt für Klavier & 4 Streicher; Wanderschaft; Die Trennung. Anu Komsi (soprano), Annika Vavic (piano), Ensemble "Die Reihe"; National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Georg Fritzsch, Chien Wen-Pin Capriccio (record label), 2010
