He Xu, composer
He Xu is a composer whose music is rooted in the collision, convergence, and dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures. He is dedicated to exploring the timbral boundaries of traditional instruments with a particular interest in discovering new sonic possibilities within established instrumental practices. Through the deconstruction, reorganization, and transformation of sound and timbre, he explores the tension and balance between rational structure and intuitive expression. At the same time, his distinctive understanding of the relationship between musical structure and emotion plays an essential role in shaping his compositional approach. Through these explorations, he continues to develop a personal musical language, using sound as a medium to express his perception, understanding, and reflection on the world. He Xu is also deeply interested in interdisciplinary artistic collaboration, which he sees as an important means of broadening his creative perspective.
Radiance, for solo Sheng, represents one of He Xu’s early explorations of the relationship between Eastern and Western musical languages. Combining the Sheng’s distinctive timbre with different modal and structural approaches drawn from Chinese and Western music, the work seeks to establish a more natural connection between the two musical cultures. It also became an important starting point for his further exploration of cultural background and personal musical language. The work received Third Prize in the 2023 Yanhuang Cup Composition Competition at the Central Conservatory of Music and was subsequently performed. His quartet Sand-singing shifts the focus toward the timbral boundaries of traditional Western instruments. Through different performance techniques and combinations of sound, he seeks to reorganize the sonic relationships among conventional chamber instruments, allowing timbre itself to participate in shaping the musical structure. The work was selected for and performed at the Third National Undergraduate Composition Teaching Workshop of the 2025 Shanghai Contemporary Music Festival. His orchestral work Whisper of Origin further brings together his explorations of culture, timbre, and structure. Inspired by Chinese philosophical thought, the work places these ideas in dialogue with Western musical language and new timbral techniques, exploring a balance among rational structure, intuition, and emotional expression. The work was selected for and performed at the Central Conservatory of Music’s 2026 Graduation Concert.
He Xu received his bachelor’s degree in composition from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Composition at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He has studied composition with Xue Rui, Hang Zou, Chen Yao, and Reiko Füting, and is currently a member of Michael Hersch’s composition studio.
徐赫，作曲
徐赫的音乐植根于东西方文化的碰撞、交汇与对话。他致力于探索传统乐器的音色边界，尤其关注在既有器乐演奏实践中发现新的声音可能。通过对声音与音色的解构、重组和转化，他探索理性结构与直觉表达之间的张力与平衡。同时，他对音乐结构与情感关系的独特理解，也是塑造其作曲方式的重要因素。在这些探索中，他不断发展个人音乐语言，以声音为媒介，表达对世界的感知、理解与思考。徐赫也对跨学科艺术合作抱有浓厚兴趣，并将其视为拓展创作视野的重要途径。
笙独奏作品《悬玉李》（Radiance） 是徐赫早期探索东西方音乐语言关系的代表作品之一。作品结合笙独特的音色与中西音乐中不同的调式、结构手法，尝试在两种音乐文化之间建立更自然的联系，也成为他进一步探索文化背景与个人音乐语言的重要起点。该作品获2023年中央音乐学院“炎黄杯”作曲比赛三等奖，并获演出。四重奏作品《沙鸣》（Sand-Singing） 则将目光转向传统西方乐器的音色边界。通过不同的演奏技法与声音组合，他尝试重新组织常规室内乐器之间的声音关系，让音色本身参与音乐结构的塑造。该作品入选2025年上海当代音乐节第三届全国本科生作曲教学工作坊，并获演出。管弦乐作品《道生之》（Whisper of Origin） 进一步汇聚了他对文化、音色与结构的探索。作品受中国哲学思想启发，将这些观念与西方音乐语言、新的音色技法置于对话之中，探索理性结构、直觉与情感表达之间的平衡。该作品入选中央音乐学院2026年毕业音乐会，并获演出。
徐赫本科毕业于北京中央音乐学院作曲专业，现于约翰斯·霍普金斯大学皮博迪音乐学院攻读作曲音乐硕士学位。他曾师从 Xue Rui、Hang Zou、Chen Yao 与 Reiko Füting，现于 Michael Hersch 的作曲工作室学习。