Draft:Dai Wei (composer)

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Dai Wei, (Chinese: 戴薇) is a composer and vocalist originally from China, currently based in the United States.

Biography

Dai Wei was born in Guangdong, China. After completing her undergraduate studies, she came to the United States for study, where she has lived since. This blend of Chinese and American cultural experiences has deeply influenced her music, giving it a vibrant, diverse style that defies traditional labels.. In 2020, she was awarded the CANOA Commission (Composing a New Orchestra Audience) from the American Composer Orchestra Underwood New Music Reading. In 2022, Dai Wei was featured in The Washington Post’s "22 for 22": Composers and Performers to Watch this year.” In 2024, she was appointed as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's 2024-25 Sound Investment Composer.

Beyond composition, Dai Wei is also an outstanding vocalist. Her singing style is rooted in pop techniques, and she explores a range of vocal expressions across different pieces, such as ethnic, primal, and throat singing. When she combines her voice with her compositions, there’s a seamless blend of seriousness and lightness, giving her work a strong and distinctive personal style. Furthermore, she has been invited multiple times as a vocalist to perform on others' works.

Education

Dai Wei holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree in Music Composition from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She later earned an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Music Composition at Princeton University.

Major works

PARTIAL MEN

This is an eleven-minute piece for voice, string quartet, and electronics, dedicated to those who donate their organs and extend others' lives. The piece combines her pre-recorded, layered vocals drifting dreamily with the live string quartet, alongside her own live throat singing, creating a rich, immersive sound experience. This piece has been performed by renowned ensembles such as the Aizuri Quartet, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Washington Post described the piece as "stunning".

HOW THE STARS VANISH...

This piece was commissioned by Hub New Music for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello and premiered in 2021. This title came from a phrase of a poem written by the Persian poet  Rūmī. This piece is based on Dai Wei's observation and imagination of the stars.

THE DANCING MOONLIGHT

This orchestral piece was composed for the Chinese New Year in 2017. Inspired by an old Chinese saying, "We are always looking at the same moon, regardless of where we are," it was created by Dai Wei shortly after she left her hometown. The composition radiates a resilient energy, combining nostalgia with a spirit of celebration and vitality. Since its premiere, it has been performed in numerous concerts worldwide. In 2023, this piece was commissioned by Carnegie Hall to create a new version for orchestra and student participation, which premiered at Carnegie Hall in May of the same year

INVISIBLE PORTALS

This is a piece for chamber orchestra and electronics, commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra. Dai Wei was invited to compose the piece following her award of the 29th CANOA Commission (Composing a New Orchestra Audience). This piece premiered in 2022 at Carnegie Hall under the direction of conductor Marin Alsop, with subsequent West Coast and Midwest premieres by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Michigan Philharmonic.

SAMSARIC DANCE

This piece for orchestra and electronics premiered in 2019 in collaboration with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Inspired by The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche, Dai Wei delved into profound reflections on the soul and reincarnation, which led to the creation of this work. Dai Wei won the Underwood New Music Readings through this work

MANDALAS IN THE RUBBLE

This is an 8-minute piece for Cello, Clarinet, Piano, and Viola. The inspiration for this piece comes from witnessing the mandala-shaped bases of temples in Nepal remaining intact after the 2015 earthquake. In 2021, this piece was performed at Lincoln Center in New York, in a program that also featured works by renowned artists such as Tan Dun, Zhou Long, and Wu Man.

Early life: Mando-Pop

In 2007, Dai Wei participated in China’s major televised music competition My Show (我型我秀) and made it to the national top 15, gaining widespread recognition. During the competition, she performed several of her original songs, which were highly praised, marking the beginning of her songwriting career. After the competition, she signed with Linfair Records (福茂唱片), becoming a Mando-pop songwriter.

To date, she has collaborated with prominent producers and artists such as Jonathan Lee, Yao Ruo-long, Aska Yang, Rainie Yang, and Yisa Yu, releasing numerous songs. Her works have been distributed globally by labels such as Sony, Universal, and Ocean Butterflies. Representative Mandopop works include Aska Yang’s Runaway, Yisa Yu’s Me, and Rainie Yang’s Unspoken Remembrance, among others.

Dai Wei
Alma mater	Princeton University Curtis Institute of Music University of North Carolina at Greensboro Xinghai Conservatory of Music
Occupation(s)	Composer, Vocalist
Website	https://www.daiweicomposer.com/