Program Notes:

Titled 樗栎 (Chu-li) after the ancient Zhuangzi (庄子) parable of the useless tree, this string quartet explores the tension between rigid societal utility and the preservation of inherent nature. As the voices fracture away from the suffocating weight of mechanical conformity, they embrace the radical liberation of being deemed functionally useless. Guided by the natural rhythm of breath, the work culminates in a vibrant celebration of this untamed asymmetry, growing organically into a resonance of spiritual autonomy.