Listen to Johnny’s original composition submitted with his entry.
Johnny Yang [Age 19, NSW]
Composition: The Entrance Fanfare
Johnny Yang is a 19-year-old kiwi from Auckland, New Zealand whose passion in music started through piano at a young age before delving into a wide range of other instruments including strings, brass, voice and percussion. Now his principal studies lay in composition, conducting, piano and harp. Johnny has won first place and runner up awards in piano competitions while achieving his ATCL diploma and other grades in other studies of instruments. His first flagship piece, ‘Arcade March’, had its first premier with Macleans College’s concert band at the 2019 annual gala concert after being recognised by the director of music. Along with this included numerous performance opportunities and showcases to the community through mediums such as national competitions, recordings, musicals, and recitals. The high school music scene in New Zealand allowed for an exceptional music education experience.
Now studying his first year at The Conservatorium of Sydney (Bachelor of Music – Composition for Creative Industries), Johnny looks to continue exploring classical music as a source of inspiration in conjunction with other media such as literature, film/tv and games to enhance the storytelling and emotional experience. He hopes to continue spreading inspiration and moving the human heart through his work.
Composition Inspiration
‘The Entrance Fanfare’ took inspiration from concert / marching band style marches which used
very similar structure and orchestration. Paired with this was the excitement of some personal transitions happening at the time that led to the creation of this fanfare, which depicts the start of a new and exciting musical adventure! Utilising the brass as a main point of impact, the middle section highlighting the strings allow for a large contrast in dynamics and flow of the music before returning with the brass and the climax which is the end of the fanfare. This creates a “starting and ending with a bang!” effect to grab the attention of the listeners from the start till the end. The percussion parts drive the piece while the changes in rhythms in other parts generate interest throughout. The piece puts listeners in a mood of being ready to set out on their day and be able to push past the obstacles along the way!