The Five Elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—embody the ancient imagination of the universe, while music is its fluid state. In this 70-minute recital, pianist KJ Wong deconstructs ten carefully selected pieces across different eras to weave the Eastern philosophy of Yin and Yang into sound.
The journey begins with “Earth,” using the meticulously structured works of Scarlatti and Bach to build a solid foundation. It then transitions to “Metal,” where Pierre Boulez’s rigorous Douze Notations showcases the element’s sleek malleability. The music flows into “Water,” intertwining Ryuichi Sakamoto’s poignant Aqua with the dappled light of Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau. Next, “Wood” blossoms with boundless vitality through the Eastern melodies of Teng Yu-hsien’s Bāng Chhun-hong (Spring Breeze) and the deeply affectionate The Butterfly Lovers. Finally, Liszt and Scriabin’s Vers la flamme ignite a blazing “Fire,” pushing the piano’s explosive energy to its absolute limit.
More than a collision of Eastern wisdom and Western artistry, this 60-minute musical experiment invites the audience to experience the cycle of creation and the eternal motion of the universe through the keys of the piano.
KJ Wong
Mathias Woo
Sonata in B minor, K.87 – Scarlatti
Sonata in E major, K. 135 – Scarlatti
Prelude and Fugue in E major, BWV 878 – Bach
12 Notations– Boulez
Aqua – Ryuichi Sakamoto
Reflets dans l’eau (Reflections in the Water) – Debussy
Bāng Chhun-hong (Pining for the Spring Breeze) – Teng Yu-hsien, arr. by Stephen Hough
The Butterfly Lovers – He Zhanhao, Chen Gang
Vers la Flamme (Toward the flame), Op. 72 – Scriabin
Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S.171 – Liszt
The concept of the Five Elements was used by ancient Chinese philosophers to describe the formation and relationships of all things in the world. The Five Elements are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Singly or in combination, they are the five major constituents of all things. The ancients related the Five Elements to different things in the world such as the Five Constant Virtues and Five Body Organs, which are unique Chinese cultural characteristics. Music also has its corresponding Five Notes. Traditional Chinese music uses a pentatonic scale, consisting of Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu, similar to the Western music notes Do, Re, Mi, So, La. Each note was imbued by the ancients with the attributes of one of the Five Elements: Metal (Shang), Wood (Jue), Water (Yu), Fire (Zhi), and Earth (Gong).
For the Five Elements recital, the selection of music pieces is based on the concept of the interaction between the Five Elements generating and controlling one another, as in Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, and Wood generates Fire. Pianist KJ Wong selects not only pieces of Western classical music, in which he excels, but also traditional Chinese music and modern music. When selecting the pieces, KJ emphasizes on the “feeling”, especially feeling his connection with the Five Elements and all things on Earth. Through this solo concert, the audience will experience the beautiful fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, and feel the charm of the Five Elements and Five Notes.
In 2018, KJ Wong collaborated with Zuni for the first time in First Lessons in Heart Sutra, and in 2019, he continued to present his philosophical ideas in the piano recital God or No God. Both experiments are artistic creations that combine music, philosophy, and multimedia images, allowing every audience to feel the universality of art and philosophy.
Apart from piano recitals, KJ has also participated in several Zuni’s performances, including The Architectural of the City, In Praise of Shadows and One Hundred Years of Solitude 11 – Twelve Hours, continuously experimenting on classical piano music in collision with Zuni’s stage aesthetics.
The Five Elements recital will be KJ’s latest interdisciplinary experimental work. If you want to know how he uses the piano to tell the stories of the Chinese Five Elements and what sparks of creativity the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures can bring about, you must come to experience this live at the Five Elements concert.
“East meets West” is an artistic dialogue that transcends cultural boundaries. While Eastern music focuses on evocative imagery and spiritual resonance, Western classical music emphasizes structure and harmony. In this recital, through a thoughtfully curated repertoire, KJ showcases the infinite possibilities of cultural fusion. Not only does he present masterpieces by Western classical giants such as Bach, Liszt, and Debussy, but he also breaks conventions by performing the immortal Eastern classic, Butterfly Lovers, on the Western piano, alongside the Taiwanese folk song Bāng Chhun-hong (Spring Breeze) arranged by a Western composer.
Furthermore, the program spans across different eras, incorporating Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Aqua and modern compositions by Pierre Boulez. KJ breathes new life into Western classical music through the Eastern philosophy of the Five Elements, while simultaneously reinterpreting the dynamic spirit of Eastern melodies. This allows the audience to profoundly experience the captivating collision and perfect fusion of Eastern and Western music right on the keyboard.
Tickets available on ZUNI TICKETING*.
Standard: $340, $240 (restricted view)
Local full-time student: $120
Joy 60+: $170, $120
Golden 80+: $10
People with disabilities: $170, $120
Recipients of the CSSA: $10
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Recommended for ages 6 and above;
Running time approximately 70 minutes;
No latecomers will be admitted, until a suitable break in the performance;
Zuni Icosahedron reserves the right to add, withdraw or substitute artists and/ or vary advertised programmes and seating arrangements.