Sungji Hong is an internationally recognized and award-winning composer whose works have been performed, commissioned and broadcast throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. Dr. Hong’s music blends together the colours and compositional style of South Korean traditional music with capabilities of Western Art music instruments. Currently, Dr. Sungji Hong serves on faculty at the University of North Texas.

Fruscio for solo piccolo was composed based on the nature scenes at the I-Park Foundation in East Haddam, Connecticut, during the Dr. Hong’s time at the I-Park Foundation Artist-in-Residence program. Fruscio is the Italian word for “rustling,” referring to the sound of the leaves rustling in the winds of the forest. This piece uses many extended techniques for piccolo to represent the different characters and sounds of nature. Sounds that can be heard are birds chirping, trees rustling, wind blowing, birds singing and flying away, woodpeckers pecking, and the gasp in awe of the nature scene.