Celestial Concerto by Alice Ping Yee Ho
Composer Alice Ping Yee Ho shares some background & the process behind this month's featured piece.
Celestial Concerto is especially close to my heart. It was my first major commission from Sinfonia Toronto, but grew from a musical friendship of nearly ten years with Artistic Director and conductor Nurhan Arman, a wonderful supporter of my music. The concerto also brought together two remarkable musicians: Canadian flutist Susan Hoeppner, with whom I have collaborated for many years, and Italian flutist Luisa Sello, with whom this was my first collaboration.
Thinking about the three of us, I wanted the music to embrace our different cultural backgrounds—Canada, Italy, and China. This led me to three fascinating mythical birds: the powerful Thunderbird from Indigenous traditions of North America, the healing white Caladrius of ancient Roman lore, and the radiant three-legged Golden Crow of Chinese mythology. Despite their different origins, all three evoke ideas of transformation, resilience, healing, and renewal.
And really, what better instruments to become birds than two flutes?
What I enjoyed most was imagining Susan and Luisa in flight and discovering a distinctive musical world for each bird. “The Caladrius” is lyrical and intimate, inspired by the legendary bird’s healing powers. “The Golden Crow,” the sun bird of Chinese mythology, bursts with heat, light, intricate patterns, and rhythmic energy. “The Thunderbird” is elemental and visceral, pushing the flutes into beatboxing and vocalization.
Writing a concerto for two flutes and strings is a rare adventure, with relatively few contemporary models to follow—which I found both challenging and liberating. Two flutes can blend almost effortlessly, but I wanted Susan and Luisa to retain their individual musical personalities. Finding the right balance of register, colour, virtuosity, and dialogue was a central challenge. Since the two soloists were travelling from different countries, rehearsal time together before the premiere was also precious. With extended techniques to negotiate, experimentation, communication, and adjustments became an important part of the collaborative process.
For the recording, I revisited the dramatic arc and changed the original movement order to Thunderbird, Caladrius, Golden Crow. The new sequence creates a journey from elemental power, through healing, toward radiant light.
Beneath these colourful mythologies lies something deeply personal. The three birds gradually became different manifestations of strength: the courage to confront, the capacity to heal, and the ability to rise again. At its heart, Celestial Concerto is my reflection on the resilience of women and our capacity to transform, heal, and begin again.
Celestial Concerto was premiered on November 6, 2025, at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre in Toronto, by Susan Hoeppner and Luisa Sello with Sinfonia Toronto, conducted by Nurhan Arman. It appears on the Centrediscs album Music from Heaven Down to Earth, featuring works by Chan Ka Nin and me, releasing October 23, 2026.
