After giving a series of remote lectures at Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou, China during November 2022, I was approached by a graduate student who wanted to know more about my music. She was particularly interested in my harmonic writing and my work with art song. I happily shared some music with her, and now, ten months later, two of my works have become the topic of her approved Master of Music thesis. That thesis is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
拉里.艾伦.史密斯两套声乐套曲的和声特点研究 – A Study on the Harmonic Characteristics of Two Song Cycles by Larry Alan Smith
Li Qing is a student at the South China University of Technology’s School of Arts majoring in composition technique theory, and she will be researching my Emily Dickinson Songs (2005) and A Slash of Blue! A sweep of Gray! (2010). Both of these song cycles involve poems written by Emily Dickinson. (Recordings of both works are included on this website.)
I have seen a summary of Li Qing’s preliminary research plans, and she will be including information about my training in France with Nadia Boulanger, as well as my study at The Juilliard School with Vincent Persichetti. She will also be focusing on the 14 Dickinson poems I used to create the two song cycles. Most importantly, she will be delving into my harmonic language and my approach to the writing of art song.
This is an exciting project, and I look forward to providing Li Qing with any information and documents she might need to complete her work. I am humbled by her interest in my music. Stay tuned for updates on the research during the coming months.
Larry Alan Smith 