COMPOSER, 작곡가 이동렬

“Alluring, sparkling, thoughtful, and carefully crafted”

“깊은 생각과 장인 정신으로 빚어진, 매혹적이며 반짝이는 음악”
– Augusta Read Thomas (Director of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition)

Seoul-born Chicago based composer Dongryul Lee crafts music that entwines the acoustical nature of sounds with clarity, pathos, and reinvented classical expressions. Embracing the joy of rendering ludic permutations or interstellar sonic fables, he invites audiences to explore and appreciate their innate spirituality through the listening experience. Read full bio

작곡가 이동렬은 음향학적 원리에 바탕을 둔 혁신적 사운드를 완성도 높은 전통적 주법을 통해서 표현합니다. 그는 관객이 기존 음악에서 경험하지 못한 새로운 차원의 음향적 드라마를 체험하기를 원합니다. 보르헤스부터 정수론까지, 그의 음악은 문학, 철학, 분석심리학, 수학, 음향학, 주종술, 양자물리학, 인공지능, 다도 등 다양한 주제를 다루고 있습니다. 소개글 읽기

MISSA LAUDATO SI’ (2023-25)

MISSA LAUDATO SI’ for for Six Singers, SATB Chorus, and 12 Instruments

World premiere, In conjunction with The EcoVoice Project, Ignatian Voices, University Singers, and University Chorale
March 15, 2025, Jo Ann Rooney Hall, Loyola Universich Chicago
Image: Br. Erspamer, OBE. Used with permission.

TIMESTORY (2020-21)

1. Motuum Cælestium
2. Star flies over dark matter (at 9:56)

Commissioned by the Center for Contemporary Composition at the University of Chicago
The Grossman Ensemble, Vimbayi Kaziboni, conductor
The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Chicago, December 3 2021

A finite island in the infinite ocean (2020)

2021 Fromm Players at Harvard Co-curated by Miranda Cuckson and Anne Shreffler
Streamed on Harvard's Music Department YouTube Channel, April 2021

Goethe's Garden (2016-17)

Scoring: two pianos tuned in a quarter-tone apart
V. gleichsam auf einer geistigen Leiter - as on a spiritual ladder
Hanah Choi and Hanqian Zhu, piano 18th Annual 21st Century Piano Competition Concert, February 10, 2017
Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

RESEARCH

A Thousand Bells: Acoustical Implementation of Bell Spectra Using the Finite Element Method and Its Compositional Realization (DMA dissertation, deposited in September 2020)

31 FEM (Finite Element Method) Bell sounds are now available to listen to in the Research section:

Bell 002–an ideally optimized bell
Prime, Tierce, Quint, Nominal = 15/8, 9/7, 3/2, 7/4
Object function value = 0.0000017053

Bell 023–a non-octave bell with just major 7th prime with “pure” beatings
Prime, Tierce, Quint, Nominal = 16/15, 14/6, 16/11, 15/4
Object function value = 0.0013977

Bell 013–the bell sound material that is used in TIMESTORY, "Overtone Bell"
Prime, Tierce, Quint, Nominal = 15/8, 10/4, 3/2, 7/4
Object function value = 0.000033162

Lehr-Bell 001–a traditional minor-3rd bell from the undertone series
Prime, Tierce, Quint, Nominal = 9/5, 6/5, 3/2, 4
Object function value = 0.000033162

MEDIA

A finite island in the infinite ocean for solo violin, Miranda Cuckson
Fromm Concerts online at Harvard, April 16, 2021

Video Interview with Anne Shreffler and Miranda Cuckson,
Fromm Concerts online at Harvard, April 16, 2021

Le Tombeau de Harvey for solo piano, Ariel Mo
Live recording from the world premiere
Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, January 2022

Le Tombeau de Harvey for solo piano, Balázs KÁLVIN, Bartók World Competition (first half only)
Finalist Gala ConcertGrand Hall, Liszt Academy, Budapest, Hungary, Nov 2018

Lessons on Light and Darkness for solo piano, Eugenia Jeong
Concert Stream – SOUND/SITES, A co-presentation of UChicago Presents and the Department of Music, Nov 2021

“Quaerendo Invenietis,” first movement from Unending Rose for string quartet
Nov 2018, Jupiter Quartet, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Urbana, US

Goethe's Garden for 2 pianos tuned a quarter tone apart
V. gleichsam auf einer geistigen Leiter–as on a spiritual ladder
The 21st Century Piano Competition Concert, Hanah Choi / Hanqian Zhu, piano, Krannert Center, Feb 2017

On Goethe's Garden
36 min. video lecture-presentation on Goethe's Garden, May 2021

Unsmeared, Like a Bodiless Horn for horn and cello
Matthew Oliphant, horn, Hannah Collins, cello
Commissioned by the Center for Contemporary Composition at the University of Chicago, Mar 2021

On a winter’s night a traveller performed by Ariel Mo
Live recording, Brown Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA, April 2024

MUSIC w/ SCORE

TIMESTORY, Book I–An astropastoral for 13 soloists (2020-21), The Grossman Ensemble
The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Chicago, December 2021

A finite island in the infinite ocean for solo violin, Miranda Cuckson
Fromm Concerts online at Harvard, April 16, 2021

Le Tombeau de Harvey (2018, rev. 2019) for solo piano Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, January 2022

Dawn Chorus performed by Axiom Brass
Recording Session, University of Chicago Logan Center for the Arts, Chicago, IL, May 23, 2021

“Quaerendo Invenietis,” first movement from Unending Rose (2017–2019, rev. 2021)
The Jupiter String Quartet, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Urbana, US, Nov 2018

Transcendentals (2015–16) for 19 instruments
I. ephemerals
II. organum
Illinois Modern Ensemble, Stephen Andrew Taylor, Conductor
Smith Recital Hall, Urbana, Nov 16, 2016

Parastrata (2015) for pierrot ensemble
2017 Conference Ensemble at Wellesley College, Jewett Auditorium, Wellesley, MA, July 2017

Quasi una macchina (2017, rev. 2021) for pierrot ensemble
I. air — passepied
II. tempo giusto; quasi una macchina
The Callithumpian Consort
SICPP at New England Conservatory, Boston, US, June 2018

Entanglement (2014) for alto saxophone and piano
Hyung-Ryoul Kim, alto saxophone
Tomoko Ono, piano
Urbana, US, April 2014

Unsmeared, like a bodiless horn for horn and cello
Concert Stream: Miniatures – Members of the Grossman Ensemble
March 12, 2021 | 7:30PM, Zoom webinar
Commissioned by the Center for Contemporary Composition at the University of Chicago

Lotus on Dense Orbit (2011)
for piano and computer-generated sound, ca. 13 min.
(The recording includes only the first half of music)
Brendan White, piano
Ciminelli Hall, Eastman School of Music, Rochester, US, Oct 2011

an air oscillates the earth bells for three days for two guitars tuned a quarter-tone apart
3rd movement, “an air oscillates the earth bells for three days”
Sungmin Shin, Guitar 1 and 2, Studio Recording (2011)

CATALOGUE

DONGRYUL LEE