Yanyan Huang has been awarded the Gold Prize in the Music - Original Composition category at the Global Best Creative Award 2025 Season 1 for her orchestral work “La Lune (The Moon)”—a poetic and deeply personal reflection on longing, memory, and the cycles of nature.
Rooted in traditional Chinese symbolism, La Lune draws inspiration from the moon’s rich presence in Chinese poetry as a metaphor for reunion and homesickness. “I wanted to translate this emotional imagery into music,” Huang says. “The moon reflects not just light—but also our inner world.”
The work moves from the stillness of dusk to the quiet ache of moonrise, weaving Chinese musical elements into a Western orchestral texture. Performed by students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the piece is also available in 5.1 surround sound.
Key details—like the vibraphone’s tremolo shimmer, evoking starlight, and the flute’s recurring melody as a musical stand-in for moonlight—bring the atmosphere to life. “The return of the opening theme in a more distant form mirrors the moon’s phases and the feeling of looking back at something once close, now far,” Huang reflects.
By blending cycle and reflection, Eastern and Western musical traditions, La Lune invites audiences to pause—and perhaps recognize their own longing in its gentle arcs.
Full Interview
1. What inspired the setting or context of this work?
La Lune (The Moon) is an original composition by Yanyan Huang, who directed the entire program—composing, filming, editing, recording, and conducting. In traditional Chinese culture, the moon symbolizes reunion, seasonal change, and a profound longing for home and family. Drawing inspiration from Chinese poets’ use of the moon as a metaphor for unspoken emotions, I translated this poetic imagery into musical language.
The piece was performed by an orchestra of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire students, whose invaluable contribution brought this vision to life. Additionally, a 5.1 surround-sound version of the work is available.
2. What emotions or ideas were you hoping to express through this work?
This piece traces the emotional arc of nightfall, transitioning from the tranquility of sunset to the introspective nostalgia evoked by the rising moon. I aimed to convey serenity, longing, and a quiet connection to home and loved ones. The shift from day to night serves as a metaphor for inner reflection, while the incorporation of Chinese musical elements (bars 62–72) adds a layer of cultural memory and homesickness. By the end, the return of the opening theme—now distant—echoes the feeling of looking back at something cherished yet out of reach.
3. Is there a particular element or detail in the piece that holds special meaning for you?
Yes—two details are especially meaningful to me. First, the vibraphone’s tremolos shimmer like starlight against the night sky, introducing a sense of wonder and quiet transformation. They mark the moment when night fully descends. Equally significant is the flute’s recurring melody, which I composed as a representation of moonlight itself: soft, luminous, and ever-present. Together, these elements create a delicate yet emotionally rich soundscape, allowing the music to express what words cannot.
4. Was there a specific concept or influence that guided your creative process?
My guiding concept was “cycle and reflection.” The opening orchestral passage returns at the end in a more distant form, mirroring the moon’s phases—from fullness to waning and back again. I also blended Western orchestration techniques with Chinese pentatonic scales to reinforce the theme of homesickness.
5. What do you hope audiences take away from experiencing your work?
I hope listeners find joy in this piece—and that those far from home, or gazing at the same moon from different corners of the world, will sense the emotions woven into the music. Perhaps they’ll hear something that resonates with their own hearts.
