Tjan Yi Xuan - from death to life (2026)

from death to life started as a series of improvisations on my violin where I attached clips, chopsticks and blu-tacks to strings to find new sounds, inspired by the ensemble’s cellist Martin Jaggi’s presentation and composer Clara Iannotta’s string pieces. The most interesting of these were “saxophone multiphonics” (bowed) and gamelan-like bells (plucked), leading to thoughts of writing a string piece that “does not sound like a string piece” and challenges expectations of what stringed instruments can sound like. This came to fruition with special thanks to the Mondrian Ensemble for the opportunity to write for them. This piece therefore explores the sound world of extended string techniques and string preparations extensively. Using the metaphor of resurrection, namely Christ’s victory over death, from death to life explores extreme timbres on stringed instruments, which physically and sonically serves as the catharsis of grieving, and simultaneously also the dying cry of Death itself, giving way to Life. Blocks of different sounds interact, transforming bit by bit till the end, where the opening harshness is only a faint memory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Performed Live by ‪@MondrianEnsemble‬ on 30 March 2026 at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music IVANA PRISTAŠOVÁ-ZAUGG, violin PETRA ACKERMANN, viola MARTIN JAGGI, cello