Baldwin Giang

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra and Baldwin Giang (pipa) on April 26, 2025.

The PIPA BOY series began during my Fulbright Artist Fellowship in Taiwan, where I studied how to play the pipa (a traditional Chinese lute) and composed for the instrument. Conceptualizing a hybrid context in which to feature the pipa alongside Western instruments, I realized that the pipa is as much a product of human migration as I am. The video part to PIPA BOY features myself in places where I’ve lived in which identity needs to be interpreted and negotiated, and critically imagines what belonging to a diaspora could mean in the future.

This orchestral version and wholescale musical revision of PIPA BOY III was commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra's Creators Corps program for the occasion of their In Harmony Tour.

You can listen to this work HERE.

Full Program Notes

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra and Scott Leger (horn) on May 9, 2025.

At a time when our country is more divided than ever, I reflected on a passage from the bible that is particularly important to many Pentecostal communities in Kentucky. In Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2, on the day of the Pentecost, Jesus gives his disciples the ability to suddenly be heard speaking in languages they did not know. Rather than attempting a kind of programmatic description, my horn concerto investigates the affects and emotional content of a miraculous moment when divided communities could, in an instant, feel recognized and heard. As a political metaphor, I think the gift of tongues is a particularly utopian and desirable vision for our world today. Though sustained hard work bridging political lines is no doubt necessary, perhaps this passage reminds us that we must also be open to the serendipitous and surprising moments when we can connect with those of radically different political communities.

Listen to Mvt. I Excerpt 1 HERE

Listen to Mvt. I Excerpt 2 HERE

Listen to Mvt. II HERE

Full Program Notes

In the 2024-25 season, Baldwin Giang led a series of songwriting workshops in partnership with the Louisville Pride Foundation. This unique collaboration invited LGBTQ+ individuals from different generations to share messages they believe are essential for others to hear. Eight participants worked in four songwriting pairs to transform these personal reflections into original musical compositions, guided by Giang and performed by Louisville Orchestra musicians.  

Read more about Baldwin's Songwriting Workshops on Louisville Public Media.