Adamantem (Latin) : 변하지 않는 / adamantino unshakable, invincible, determined, hard and eternal like a diamond 

Between 2020 to early 2022 was the hardest time of my life. I felt lonely, overwhelmed, and scared. I could not tell why I was thrown into this darkness. I was afraid to confront the fast-changing environment surrounding me while I was losing my identity. I was afraid to see myself assimilating into this society. It was hard seeing myself trying too hard to be “one of them.” I looked for something immutable, something that could keep me still. It was music: The music of the composers I love to listen to. In this piece, Adamantem, I used the musical languages – the chord progression, folk-like melodies, spatial registers and contrasts – from the composers Béla Bartók, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky, Richard Strauss, and Johannes Brahms, who influenced me the most and gave me the courage to move forward. 

Commissioned and Premiered by pianist, Alberto Menjón, on April 27th 2022 at Greenfield Hall Manhattan School of Music, NY, USA

Played by pianist, Daeun Han, on February 9th 2023 at Auer Hall, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music