Meilina Tsui was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 1993. The first performance of Floridian Symphony took place at Hayes Hall, Artis-Naples, Naples, Florida, on December 13, 2024, with Alexander Shelley conducting the Naples Philharmonic. Floridian Symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, three horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (two players), harp, and strings. Approximate performance time is eight minutes.

Born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and raised in Hong Kong, Meilina Tsui is a composer, pianist, and educator now based in Orlando, Florida. Her compositions have been performed throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Meilina Tsui is the first Chinese classical composer of Dungan descent whose works have earned international attention and acclaim. Tsui’s compositions offer a unique synthesis of Central Asian, East Asian, and Western elements. Meilina Tsui earned degrees in music from Chinese University of Hong Kong (BA in Music), King’s College London (MMus in Composition), and the University of Michigan (DMA in Composition).

In the words of the composer: "Floridian Symphony for orchestra (2024) is an 8-minute musical representation of a dusk-to-dawn time-lapse of Florida’s natural soundscapes. The diverse wildlife in the picturesque suburbs of Orlando, where I have been calling my home since becoming a new US resident in 2023, have offered tremendous inspiration for Floridian Symphony. 

In this piece, I try to capture the “symphonic” voices of Florida’s natural inhabitants – insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians – as well as sounds of rain and thunderstorm, using adventurous extended-techniques. Underneath the extensive technicality that this piece demands, there is a simple artistic idea of creating an intimate connection with the uniqueness, beauty, and vibrant diversity of the natural world."