On the opening weekend of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s (LACO) 2023-2024 season, the ensemble featured a West coast premiere, Invisible Portals by Dai Wei. This included a Mendelssohn violin concert performed by the critically acclaimed Augustin Hadelich, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter.”
Wei, who is originally from China, started her musical career writing Mandopop demos and soon expanded her compositional abilities through attending Xinghai Conservatory of Music and multiple prestigious music programs in the US, including her current doctorate program at Princeton University.
Wei performed alongside the orchestra as the vocalist for her piece, and her vocals lent an ethereal, mystical quality to the composition. There was a propulsive motion about the piece, found in the traipsing, repeated eighth notes, the throbbing vocal echoes, or in the sul tasto, bird-like effect at the beginning that paints an image of gulls soaring across the sky. The piece took listeners on a journey from an expansive landscape into a labyrinth inspired by the mandala thangka, a painting depicting an intricate geometric structure that spans multiple physical and metaphysical realms. Seamlessly interweaving electronic components, voice, and orchestra, the piece was immersive and cinematic and would fit well as a video game or movie soundtrack. It’s experimental while remaining accessible, and Wei’s works chart out an exciting, intercultural direction in the classical space.
