​​KJ Wong Piano Recital: The Five Elements

Creative Team

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Piano (Live)

KJ Wong

KJ is a pianist and violinist who has won awards internationally since his childhood. His biographical documentary, KJ: Music and Life received Best Film Editing, Best Documentary and Best Sound Effects in the 46th Golden Horse Film Awards. KJ is also actively engaged in community activities, influencing the society with his sounds. In 2009, his concert, “KJ & NG Music is Music”, was widely acclaimed for its authenticity and major breakthroughs. In 2013, KJ co-founded “Music Lab” which provides platforms for various kinds of classical music and creative performance. In 2018, KJ has won the First Prize (Chamber Music Prize) at the Alaska International Piano-e-Competition.

Director, Arts Tech Design & Calligraphy

Mathias Woo

Co-Artistic Director cum Executive Director of Zuni Icosahedron.

A pioneer in interdisciplinary and multimedia theatre, Mathias Woo constructs theatrical aesthetics through striking visual images. His works encompass a wide range of fields including literature, history, current political affairs, architecture, religion, and philosophy. With over eighty theatrical productions to his credit, his works have been performed in many places such as Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Singapore, Milan, Berlin, and Poland. He is dedicated to experimenting with various art forms within theatre, and his body of work breathes new life into traditional performing arts through contemporary cross-cultural perspectives and arts technology.

🎼 Programme Repertoire and the Imagery of the "Five Elements"

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Ten composers are like the Ten Heavenly Stems; within each of the Five Elements, there is one Yin and one Yang. KJ Wong Ka Jeng’s piano recital Five Elements illustrates that all things in the universe begin with Earth—Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, and Wood generates Fire.

Metal represents future ideas and possibilities; Water governs intellect and its influence on wisdom; Wood narrates the stories of humanity throughout history; Fire embodies the essence of human nature.

Earth

Sonata in B minor, K. 87 – Scarlatti

Sonata in E major, K. 135 – Scarlatti

Prelude and Fugue in E major, BWV 878 – Bach

All things begin with Earth, and the earth nourishes all creation. Therefore, the “Earth” section features works from the Baroque period to represent the style of that era. Scarlatti’s Sonata in B minor has a slow tempo, appearing subtle and introspective; his Sonata in E major is relatively faster, bright, and highly repetitive. Coupled with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E major, the melody develops slowly, much like an architectural structure.

Composers in the Baroque period typically built their music section by section, element by element, to form a complete piece. Every motif and every note is pieced together one by one. The music of that time acts like the earth—nourishing everything and influencing subsequent developments. In musical history, the profound impact of Scarlatti and Bach on future generations is just like that of the Earth.

Metal

12 Notations– Boulez

Douze Notations (Twelve Notations) refers to twelve methods of composition. In music, “Notations” are the elements used in writing and scoring music, reflecting a highly digital and systematic creative approach.

“Twelve” represents the Twelve Earthly Branches. The “Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches” is an ancient Chinese system used to record years, days, and time. Douze Notations corresponds to the twelve Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai.

In our current 21st-century Digital Age, the modern way of thinking about music is different from the past. People in the past might have approached music through narratives, emotions, or forms, using music to tell a story or composing based on a mythological background. However, this work was created by the 21st-century French composer Pierre Boulez, where one piece might focus entirely on accents, staccatos, pedal techniques, or syncopation. This new music can be stimulating, dissonant, imitative of impact sounds, or paired with sound mixing design; certain atmospheres are entirely unpredictable, forming calculated music.

The “Metal” section reflects how music can represent the ways humans think across different eras and epochs of this world. It serves as a metaphor for how “Metal” can be applied in our modern society.

Water ｜ Metal generates Water

Aqua – Ryuichi Sakamoto

Reflets dans l’eau (Reflections in the Water) – Debussy

Water is omnipresent and can permeate anything. “Be Water” carries the meaning of being “like water.” Water represents intellect, and one should be as flexible and adaptable as water.

Performing Aqua is a tribute to the late Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. In his final concert, Sakamoto also performed Aqua, a piece that flows slowly and steadily. Sakamoto dedicated his life to composition; having studied classical music since childhood, his techniques and creative methods were inherited from the classical school, and he was deeply influenced by Debussy.

In French music, water is also a crucial theme, with Impressionists composing many pieces about it. This naturally transitions to the next piece, Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau (Reflections in the Water). As the title suggests, it is a work about water, capturing movement within stillness, and stillness within movement.

Wood ｜ Water generates Wood

Bāng Chhun-hong (Pining for the Spring Breeze) – Teng Yu-hsien, arr. by Stephen Hough

The Butterfly Lovers – He Zhanhao, Chen Gang

The Eastern cultural artifacts and Japanese paintings exhibited at the World Expo influenced Debussy’s compositions. Following Debussy are two works originating from Chinese-speaking regions.

Pining for the Spring Breeze is a famous Taiwanese folk song about nature. Yin, Mao, and Chen fall under the “Wood” Earthly Branches. “Mao” represents villages, trees, and grass; it also represents people, the coming and going of crowds, and the stories of many individuals.

The Butterfly Lovers is a composition based on the Yue opera Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. The story originates from a folktale and narrates the relationships and connections between people.

Fire ｜ Wood generates Fire

Vers la Flamme (Toward the flame), Op. 72 – Scriabin

Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S.171 – Liszt

“Vers la flamme” translates to “Toward the Flame.” Fire begins with a sense of mystery, slowly burns upward, and ultimately explodes. In Scriabin’s music, fire is a crucial imagery. All music can be said to be derived from imagination, or considered as a visualization. Musical inspiration is just like a flame, seemingly eternal.

Finally, in the concept of “Jia and Yi (Wood) generate Bing and Ding (Fire),” “Bing” represents the sun, while the fire of “Ding” refers to people (humanity). Reaching this point, the entire performance is telling the story of humanity. It begins with “Earth” and concludes with “Humanity.”

Summarizing the entire program is Liszt’s Ballade No. 2 in B minor. This single piece unifies everything; it is the most emotionally rich selection, the one capable of maximizing emotional resonance, and the most deeply human. One piece perfectly synthesizes all the elements of the entire concert.

Let’s Hear About KJ’s Creative Vision

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To KJ, the “Five Elements” is a concept that helps us understand life and nature. The repertoire for this experimental concert is inspired by the characteristics of these five major elements, reinterpreting the continuous generating cycle of the “Five Elements” through the variations and flow of tone and rhythm. Every Western classical piece, modern composition, and even traditional Chinese melody has been meticulously selected by KJ. He hopes the audience can immerse themselves in a space that integrates his piano performance with Zuni’s stage aesthetics, allowing them to feel the connection between themselves and the world.

What mysteries lie behind the musical selections for Five Elements? What other details in the concert are worth looking out for or anticipating? Let’s listen as KJ walks us through it.

“Harmonising the Inner Elements: Eastern Wisdom, Sound, and Mental Equilibrium”, KJ Wong Piano Recital Five Elements Post-Performance Sharing

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Looking for an inspiring, meaningful arts and mindfulness experience for your family and students? Join us for two special stage performances, paired with exclusive post-show sessions led by esteemed Bhutanese educator and monastic leader Lopon Sonam Yoezer!

👤 Special Guest Speaker: Lopon Sonam Yoezer

Vice Principal of the renowned Druk Ralung Shedrup Choling Monastery & Educational Centre of the Drukpa Lineage in Bhutan. With over two decades of leadership in youth education and contemplative wisdom, Lopon specializes in integrating holistic inner growth, focus, and emotional resilience into children’s daily lives and learning environments.

KJ Wong Piano Recital: The Five Elements KJ Wong Piano Recital: The Five Elements KJ Wong Piano Recital: The Five Elements