A point of encounter
1963—
Composer · Educator
China · France
Contemporary
Also known as: 徐仪 · 徐儀 · Yi Xu
Overview
Xu Yi began with the erhu before turning to composition at the Shanghai Conservatory. Born in Nanjing in 1963, she later continued her studies in France through IRCAM’s composition and computer-music course and at the Paris Conservatory with Gérard Grisey and Ivo Malec. A residence at the Villa Médicis in Rome followed. Her catalogue brings instruments, recorded sound and philosophical inquiry into contact. Based in France while maintaining links with China, she has also taught composition and worked with ensembles across several countries.
[1][2]Cultural context
Born in Nanjing, trained in Shanghai and Paris, and based in France, with continuing connections to China.
Musical Language
Xu Yi relates spectral thinking to the I Ching and Taoist ideas of fullness, emptiness and transformation. Instrumental timbre and spatial movement become structural materials. In Le Plein du Vide, fourteen instruments interact with eight channels of prerecorded, transformed instrumental sound, making the listening space part of the composition itself.[2][3][5]
A point of encounter
A few paths into the music. Follow a recording, a score, or the composer’s catalogue.
01 / Catalogue
Begin with Le Plein du Vide and its relationship between instruments, recorded sound and space. The composer’s catalogue identifies the forces, publisher and recording; this is a catalogue resource rather than a promised audio stream.
Explore the composer’s work entry — External website; opens in a new tabSelected works
1 / 1 · Selected Works — not a complete catalogue.
| Work | Year & catalogue | Forces & genre | Resources & verification |
|---|---|---|---|
Le Plein du Vide | 1997 | Fourteen instruments and spatialized eight-channel electronics Chamber |
A dash indicates that a date has not been established in this selection. External resources may have access or regional conditions.
Research
Original editorial summaries, checked against the sources below. Linked catalogues and recordings remain with their publishers and archives.
Composer / specialist resource
Biographie — Xu Yi — External website; opens in a new tabResearch institution
Yi Xu — Biography — External website; opens in a new tabResearch institution
Yi Xu — Survey of Works — External website; opens in a new tabComposer / specialist resource
Œuvres principales — Xu Yi — External website; opens in a new tabComposer / specialist resource
Le Plein du Vide / 盈与虚 — External website; opens in a new tabLast reviewed: