Jimmy Wang: From Whisky to Idealism – Two Compositions Exploring Cross-Cultural Expression in Sound

<p dir="ltr">This poster presents two original compositions from my doctoral research on cross-cultural integration in contemporary music. The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve Sinfonietta transforms the whisky-making process into a sonic metaphor—each movement reflecting fermentation, blending, and maturation through orchestral colour and Chinese modal gestures. Above the Dust and Worldliness, a string quartet inspired by a 1980s Chinese graduation message, embodies introspective idealism and moral resilience within modern social turbulence. Together, these works explore how cultural identity, landscape, and philosophical reflection can converge through Practice-as-Research. They demonstrate a search for balance between Chinese aesthetics and New Zealand’s artistic environment, using composition as both creative act and scholarly enquiry.</p>