Program

The Adventure Through the Haunted House Mason Qian

Chase Wang, piano

Description: This piece is inspired by my adventure through a haunted house, and the sudden loud tritones was from people jumping out from places that were hidden well. 

Dancing Spiders Chase Wang

Mason Qian, piano

Description: This piece tells a story that a kid doesn’t clean his room and he feels relaxed. But later, tons of spiders come into his room and he gets scared. 

Black Moon Ivy Deng

Kai Zavislak, piano

Description: This piece is a haunting, ghostly lullaby and you get the feeling that somebody is watching you. My goal with this piece is to spook others and rope them into the Halloween vibes. 

The Mean Witches Paul Petrescu

Paul Petrescu, piano

Description: This piece is inspired by the evil cackling laughter of witches in the night. The weird choice of chords overlapping each other is supposed to demonstrate the cracked up voices of the witches. 

The Dance of the Skeletons Kai Zavislak

Paul Petrescu, piano

Description: This is a quirky piece with the same theme coming back over and over again, alternating with episodes that tell a haunting story. Just like day and night in the forest, the non-threatening day contrasts with monsters haunting the night. 

In Life Ariel Chang

Ivy Deng, piano

Description: This piece symbolizes the nostalgia in life and its ups and downs. In the opening, the motif is introduced, and increases in intensity. This symbolizes the curiosity and action near the beginning of life. When a new melody comes in, it symbolizes understanding and maturity, with a more stable feeling, as you begin to grow up. Slowly, diminished chords appear, to symbolize strife and discord. Lastly the motif is reintroduced, and the piece is ended, along with the memory of life. 

The Four-Handed Ghost Alyse Wong

Alyse Wong and Ariel Chang, piano

The White Carnations Sabrina Wang

Chi Anne Chen, violin

Lyra Song, cello

Description: This composition conveys the internal loss one feels when faced with grief. White carnations represent pure love and are commonly seen at funerals: they symbolize the loss of innocence and purity.

Day of Dead for Piano and Cello Lyra Song

Lyra Song, cello

Chi Anne Chen, piano

Description: This piece was written for my parakeet, Liszt, who passed away earlier this year. The ominous opening expresses my feeling of uncertainty, while the introduction of the melodic theme signifies the wishful imagining of him returning.

Trail of the Road Chi Anne Chen

Alyse Wong, violin

Ellie Xuan, piano

Description: This composition is a story about a young boy’s dream. In the beginning it starts off spooky and filled with surprises. In the middle it gets better, he starts seeing the sky bluer. Life felt lighter, sweeter, and purer. But then, a sudden storm came in. A lightning strikes and it was back to dark and shady.

Dance of the Demons Ellie Xuan

Alyse Wong and Chi Anne Chen, violins

Kai Zavislak, piano

Description: I wanted to use this piece to show the chilling sensation of demons and other dark spirits approaching someone. I also wanted to show the chaotic scene of a dance of the demons after the demons created a mess on the night of Halloween. 

Big Foot Raymond Jiang

Joseph Lee, violin

Julian Deery, double bass

Raymond Jiang, piano

Waverly Meyer, sleigh bells

Description: It is a super quick piece about Big Foot kidnapping a girl.

Wicked Nocturne Gabriel Pereira

Waverly Meyer, soprano

Julian Deery, double bass

Gabriel Pereira, piano and melodica

Description: This piece is about the chilling sensation one may feel when listening to something nostalgic, like a lullaby. My goal with this piece was to resemble how things we knew and loved from our past can feel dark and ominous when we experience them again. 

Song of the Wild Wolf Rosie Lee

Rosie Lee, voice

Gabriel Pereira, piano

Description: Inspired by “The Call of the Wild” written by Jack London, this piece is about a wolf. The vocal elements and the chords in the piano are what make this piece spooky for a Halloween night. 

Halloween Piano Trio Joseph Lee

Joseph Lee, violin

Gabriel Pereira, cello

Raymond Jiang, piano

Description: My piece is a piano trio that I made Halloween themed. I put this together taking inspiration from trick-or-treating and scary costumes. Enjoy!

You’ll See Waverly Meyer

Waverly Meyer, voice and piano

Gabriel Pereira, cello

Description: I wrote this song about a family member who is slowly going blind from a progressive disease. It explores the fear, confusion, and darkness that comes with watching the world disappear piece by piece while trying to hold on to the memories. 

The Broken Waltz Julian Deery

Gabriel Pereira, cello

Julian Deery, double bass

Rosie Lee, piano

Description: Rooted in the jazz harmonies that have shaped my musical background, this piece merges the spontaneity of jazz with the refinement of classical instruments. The final glissandos serve as a central motif, adding a haunting, spectral quality that transforms a simple melodic framework into something deeply atmospheric.