lawrence (flutist & composer)

lawrence chiu

in conversation with

hiraware

Lawrence Chiu is a professional flutist and composer.

A member of Philharmonic Winds Malaysia with 16 years of experience, his latest work explores the intersection of classical and ambient sound.

He has performed in hiraware garments, modeled for the brand, and played small sessions at the hiraware studio.

We sit down with him to discuss his music and personal style.

When I think of your music, the emotion that comes to mind is - stillness. Was this a feeling you wanted to evoke?

I would describe it as serenity, trying to capture this feeling I had when I was at the seaside in Muar.

I stayed at a friend’s place, and he brought me to the beach to just chill and walk around.

When I came back to KL, I found I was not able to compose very smoothly, there were just so many things to do.

But when I was there it felt, not empty, but calm and serene.

It sounds like with your music, you act as a conduit to express your environment.

I think so. I think my music comes from the environment, because I needed that stillness to compose those pieces.

And I had to take myself out there, into the forest or the seaside – just to be still and take in the quietness.

But I think it is also something I am chasing to put it into my music and take back, like a souvenir.

In your performance, you used the sound of plates clinking and your breath itself as part of your music. What has driven this switch towards these experimental sounds?

Instead of switching, I think it is more of an expanding.

And the expansion has been quite nice, it has refreshed my approach and made me reflect on my usual composition styles for classical music.

With the plates and the breath, I think it just made sense. I felt that it suited the type of music I was playing much more than if I only played the flute in a more classical way.

And what was this “making sense” you were trying to capture through these sounds?

I think with the breath; it kind of sounds to me like sea waves. It is also a very human sound, contrary to the synth.

The plates to me represent the wind, because the clinking sounds like wind chimes. So, I think it is suitable to put them together side-by-side.

The plates are also a bit sentimental. They were handmade by a friend who was there that night.

I think with handmade stuff, It is quite special. Because it is one of a kind and made by her hand.

For me to play them for her, I do not think she expected me to use them to perform, to hear them as a performance.

I think that was quite valuable.

You seem to be challenging the barrier between sound and music, pursuing something that is more human or natural.

I think if you really listen, anything can be music.

If it is raining outside and if you really listen, you can hear all sorts of different sounds when the rain hits the plants and concrete. If you stop and listen, that could be music to you.

And even if you go to a concert, but if you do not listen, then it is not music to you. You are just hearing it but not listening.

Lawrence performing in the twisted shirt at the hiraware studio.

"It's a shirt that you can immediately see is different. And for the audience, when they see us wear it on stage, they can immediately tell - this is not a typical performance."