PRESS QUOTES "Samson Young personifies the emerging, contemporary artist: youthful, talented, and a touch schizophrenic. [But] there is method - and no little intelligence - in Young's madness." - BC Magazine "Employing everything from violin with floss substituted for strings, to blips and beeps inspired by childhood video games, Young’s works combine arresting imagery and lighting with carefully contoured music...to make for a multisensory theatrical experience." - Time Out Hong Kong BIOGRAPHY [download Chinese version] Described by contemporary music portal Sequenza 21 as “epic, dark, and fun,” Samson Young’s music often juxtaposes elements of play with intensely violent gestures to create experiences of rich darkness and perverted poetry. With formal training in classical music and a keen eye for moving images and installation-art, Young combines his expertise to create unique concert experiences. Beyond the classical concert stage, Young's creative output spans the widest possible range: from music for symphony orchestra and electronics, to amusement-ride-turned-sound-installation, to video-theatre featuring himself dressed as a teletubby. In June 2007, Young became the first Hong Kong artist to receive the Bloomberg Emerging Artist Award with his “Happiest Hour” - a collection of Nintendo gameboy-inspired audio-visual installations. Young was Hong Kong Sinfonietta's artist assoicate in the 2008 – 2009 season. Young's compositions, installations and multimedia works have been presented in such festival as the Sydney Springs International New Music Festival (Australia 2001) and Canberra International Music Festival (Australia 2008); Bowdoin International Music Festival (US 2004) and Bang on a Can Music Summer Music Festival (US 2005); Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt (Germany 2006); Dark Music Days (Iceland 2008); Microwave International New Media Arts Festival (HK 2004), October Contemporary (HK 2007), Le French May Arts Festival (HK 2009) and Hong Kong Arts Festival (2009). His concert music received performances by Hong Kong Sinfonietta, City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Bang on a Can Summer Institute Fellows, Network for New Music, New Millennium Ensemble, So Percussion, Sydney Song Company and Grenzenlos, among others. Young is a Ph.D fellow at Princeton University's department of music under the auspices of a Princeton University Fellowship and Naumburg Prize. His mentors in composition include Hing-yan Chan, and electronic music pioneer Paul Lanksy. In addition, he has studied privately and in masterclasses with George Crumb, Toshio Hosokawa, Helmut Lachenmann, and Steve Reich. Recording of Samson Young's work is available through Capstone Records. FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES 2009 Le French May Arts Festival - with City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong 2009 Hong Kong Arts Festival - with Hong Kong Sinfonietta 2008 Canberra International Music Festival, Australia 2008 Dark Music Days Contemporary Music Festival, Iceland 2007 October Contemporary, Hong Kong 2006 Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt, Germany 2005 Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art 2004 Bowdoin International Music Festival, Maine USA 2004 Microwave International Media Art Festival, Hong Kong 2004 Le French May Arts Festival, Hong Kong 2003 Cattle Depot Arts Festival, Hong Kong 2000 The 11th Sydney Springs International Music Festival, Sydney Australia 1999 C21 New Music Festival, Sydney Australia SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2009 “Box of Revelation,” Hong Kong Arts Center, Hong Kong 2009 “Re-animating,” JCCAC, Hong Kong 2008 “Eric Ayotte and Samson Young,” Red Tin Shack Gallery, New York 2008 “Emerging Artists from the Chinese Diaspora,” Deutschebank, New York 2008 “Sonic Fragments,” Princeton University, New Jersey 2008 “Intersections - 9 artists from 3 places,” Benten 17 Gallery, Hong Kong 2007 Shenzhen-Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture 2007 “14QK,” Para/site, Hong Kong 2007 “Bloomberg Emerging Artist Exhibition,” Sino Hong Kong Art Gallery, Hong Kong 2007 October Contemporary, Osage Kwun Tong, Hong Kong 2004 Microwave International Media Art Festival, City Hall, Hong Kong