Ho's Whimsical Sketches of Fanciful Birds is ideal for saxophonists looking for an adventurous and colourful recital work. It is comprised of five short movements, each taking inspiration from a different bird species as imagined through the lens of the composer's childhood. The combination of expressive pitch bends, honks, frenzied gestures and colourful harmonic clusters throughout the work makes for a playful, energetic and virtuosic addition to any post-graduate or professional performance.
Vincent Ho is a Canadian who is widely recognised as one of the most exciting composers of his generation. He has made waves in the music world of North America despite being fairly early in his compositional career, receiving numerous prizes, accolades, and prominent commissions in a relatively short space of time. Ho’s music is rich and energetic - a unique integration of influences ranging from the visual arts, electroacoustic and natural soundscapes, traditional classical music forms, and the physical properties of the instruments and ensembles for which he writes. His music is sensual, sonorous and richly textured, and Ho gives considerable attention to the audience’s experience of his intricate sound-worlds.
