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Stella Sung
Oceana

Composer and pianist Stella Sung composes for concert, ballet, opera, film and multi-media. A graduate of the universities of Michigan, Florida and Texas, she is currently Professor of Music and director of the Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology, and Entertainment (CREATE) at the University of Central Florida. Not only has she provided scores for several documentary films, but she was also the subject of an award-winning documentary that captures her unique musical voice.


Sung’s visit to Boston’s New England Aquarium and a lecture on the effects of noise pollution on marine life inspired her to compose Oceana, a multi-media work highlighting the grandeur and fragility of deep-sea ecosystems. The score, commissioned by the Boston Landmarks Orchestra in 2016, is a visual and auditory collage reflecting. “…the problems of ocean noise pollution caused by seismic testing, the air guns used for this process, large ships and ocean vessels, and other man-made noises. The effects of these noises can be devastating for all marine species from fish to plankton, but particularly for those who depend upon sound waves for their communication, finding food sources, and navigation.” Sung adds:

“With this knowledge in mind, I decided that my new composition, Oceana, would have a focal point of reminding us of how important the ecosystem of the oceans is for not only marine life but for human life as well. I have compiled a soundtrack comprised of recordings of marine life animal sounds (various whale, dolphin, seal, and other sounds) that runs throughout the piece. The work is divided into three basic sections; 1) the beauty, majesty, and mystery of the seas and the life forms that live there, 2) the man-made disturbances of that ecosystem, and 3) the hope that humans can find a balance of living alongside the oceans and marine life so that our co-existence is based upon respect and understanding and knowledge. Working with the NEA and other scientists, Boston Landmarks Orchestra conductor Christopher Wilkins, and marine underwater film-maker/photographer/scuba diver and educator Annie Crawley, we have formed a collaborative effort in bringing not only the composition to life, but to help bridge a deeper understanding and appreciation for the wonders of the oceans.”

Stella Sung was the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s Composer-in-Residence from 2013 to 2016. During that time she composed Signs/Fate of Place for Dayton Ballet, the animated film score Farmer Glorp for Dayton Philharmonic Educational and Family programs, and the one-act opera The Book Collector for Dayton Opera.