Weaving Cultures in Sound: A New Composition for Our Students

For those who have been following our journey, you might remember that last year we embarked on an exciting collaboration with Wai Hin Ko Ko, a PhD candidate in composition at UC Berkeley. Originally from Myanmar, Wai set out to compose a piece specifically for Buffalo String Works’ students—a piece that will make its debut at our Spring Concert this June.

Wai’s composition is built around several different traditional songs, each representing one of Myanmar’s largest ethnic groups. These songs span a wide emotional spectrum—celebratory tunes, funeral laments, folk melodies, and children’s songs—woven together seamlessly with original transitional material. It’s an intricate sonic tapestry that captures the rich diversity of Myanmar’s musical heritage while being tailored to the skill levels of our students.

Recently, our Teaching Artists and staff had the chance to play the piece aloud for the first time. It was a special moment—not just for the music itself, but for the rare opportunity to come together as musicians before passing the piece on to our students.

Lizzie Seward, Teaching Artist and Program Coordinator, played the viola in the reading and shared her excitement about seeing the piece come to life. “Whenever we get a commissioned piece for our students, it’s such a cool experience. It feels really rewarding. You could hear different themes floating throughout the sections—it was masterfully woven together.”

Education Director Andrew Borkowski, who played the part written for our Team A cellists, reflected on how meaningful it was to play together as a teaching group. “We don’t often get to sit together and play the pieces that we will then teach to our students. It was illuminating to experience firsthand the benefits of making music together.”

One of the most striking moments came from the solo violin part, played by Teaching Artist Isabel Ong. Lizzie noted, “That solo part really tied everything together. Isabel was artfully masterful. It was so inspiring to see my fellow Teaching Artists in their element.”

Mr. Borkowski also remarked on how beautifully designed the composition is—not only is it idiomatic to the instruments, but it’s also intentionally structured to accommodate a range of skill levels. “There are lots of elements that can stand alone or be woven into the full piece,” Lizzie added. “It’s really versatile.”

This playthrough was meant to give our Teaching Artists an intimate understanding of the piece so they could begin planning how to introduce it to their students. The enthusiasm from the educators has been contagious, and some students are already diving in.

“I had my students try a section last week,” Lizzie shared. “There’s a part where pizzicato is paired with vocalization, and they absolutely loved it. It adds a dimension of sound you wouldn’t expect in a string piece.”

This is something truly unique—composed especially for our students, reflecting both their abilities and the deep cultural heritage it represents. Over the next few months, the piece will take shape in their hands, growing into something fully realized and uniquely their own. We can’t wait to share the final performance with you this June at our Spring Concert!