Universe’s Children, composed by Yuwan Zhang, is now available on Instagram (@yuwanzhangmusic/@yuwanzhang_1999) and YouTube.

Thesis composition of MFA Screen Scoring, Class of 2025.

Recorded on Monday June 23, 2025 at Warner Bros' Eastwood scoring stage in Burbank, CA by the legendary Dennis Sands, pro tools operation and music editing by Adam Olmsted, Eastwood stage admin Jamie Olvera; orchestra with 74 of LA's finest musicians contracted by Peter Rotter and Encompass Music Partners.

Orchestra conducted by Vincent Oppido, concertmaster Alyssa Park; mixed June 26 by Dennis Sands at his Soundwaves SB studio.

Recording and mixing sessions are produced by Yuwan Zhang, Dennis Sands, and Kubilay Uner.

Special thanks to Niclas Schroeder, Sebastian Huydts, Ildar Kamalov, and the Columbia College Chicago New Music Ensemble.

MUSICIANS:

Vocals: Yuwan Zhang

Guitar: Ildar Kamalov

Violins: Alyssa Park (CM), Tereza Stanislav (P2), Ben Jacobson, Kayvon Sesar, Ina Veli, Lorand Lokuszta, Stephanie Matthews, Songa Lee, Ana Landauer, Charlie Bisharat, Grace Oh, Joel Pargman, Amy Hershberger, Wynton Grant, Irina Voloshina, Sara Parkins, Carrie Kennedy, Elizabeth Hedman, Sarena Hsu, Natalie Leggett, Leonard Chong, Lisa Dondlinger, Paul Manaster, Xenia Deviatkina-Loh

Violas: Shawn Mann-1st, Nadia Sirota, Rodney Wirtz, Corrine Sobelewski, Aaron Oltman, Phillip Triggs, Jordan Warmath, Stefan Smith, Kayla Cabrera, Jonah Sirota

Violoncelli: Jacob Braun-1st, Ro Rowan, Helen Altenbach, Christine Kim, Ross Gasworth, Ben Lash, Charlie Tyler, Cameron Stone, Judy Kang, Alex Mansour

Contrabasses: Geoff Osika-1st, Thomas Harte, Steve Dress, Nico Philippon, Stephanie Payne, Eric Shetzen

Harp: Marcia Dickstein

Flutes: Amy Tatum-1st, Sara Andon, Julie Burkert

Oboes: Jennifer Cullinan-1st, Claire Brazzeau, Marissa Honda

Clarinets: Stuart Clark-1st, Laura Stoutenborough, Don Foster

Bassoons: William May-1st, Ryan Simmons, Alex Garcia

French Horns: Dylan Hart-1st, Laura Brenes, Adedeji Ogunfolu, Kaylet Torrez

Trumpets: Dan Rosenboom-1st, Rob Schaer, Barry Perkins

Trombones: Alex Iles-1st, Steve Suminski, Craig Gosnell

Tuba: Blake Cooper

COMPOSITION CONCEPT 创作概念:

人、自然与宇宙，本为一体。人即自然，自然即宇宙，而人，是宇宙的子民。对我而言，人与自然的融合之道，是人声的表达，但并非传统的吟唱，也不是唱出属于某种语言的具象意义的歌词。

在《Universe’s Children（宇宙的孩子）》中，我编织了一段由多种古老与现代语言交融而成的“咒语”。有的词源于圣咏传统的拉丁文，有的来自梦境中浮现的中文字符咒语（“顶同呼从呼从前，赞赖无喜，白性先笙生”），有的来自于年少时对我影响深厚的日文歌中提到的治愈主人公的摇篮曲（“远方传来‘lu li la lu li la’的歌声，是谁在唱摇篮曲呢”），有的是萨满吟诵，也有古埃及语与阿拉伯语的发音。语言是文明的产物，而当文明归于自然，它的本质不过是连接与沟通。当多种语言在作品中彼此交织、去除语义，它们便成为情感的载体。听者的感受与理解就是歌词的全部意义，我在和听众同时创造这份作品。

本曲的歌唱方式在理性与本能之间交替展开。人的神性，人的野性，在此刻融入自然与宇宙，成为共鸣与祝福的一部分。

纵观历史与文化的演进，宗教与自然始终密不可分。因此我在作品中也融合了世界各地的宗教打击乐器（神乐铃，韩国萨满铃，塞浦路斯教堂钟声，藏族铃钹）和教堂唱诗班唱法，营造出跨越时空的连结感，构筑出亲密又超凡的声景。

乐器的选择上，我同时使用了交响乐器，世界乐器与插电乐器，它们共同组成了人类文明演进的时间缩影。科技与文明，都是自然的一部分，自然连通着万物，包容着一切。在这首乐曲中，声音成为了历史的容器，也是人与自然宇宙之间能量流动的通道。

这首曲子，是我对“人、自然与宇宙合一”的描绘。我们，都是自然与宇宙的孩子。

Humanity, nature, and the universe are one. Humans are part of nature. Nature flows into the universe. And humans are citizens of the cosmos. For me, the path toward harmony between humans and nature is expressed through the human voice, but not through traditional chanting or lyrics that carry fixed meaning in any particular language.

In Universe’s Children, I wove a “spell” composed of a blend of ancient and modern languages. Some of the words come from the Latin of sacred chant. Others are character-based incantations that surfaced in my dreams in Chinese (“Ding Tong Hu Tsong Hu Tsong Chian, Zan Lai Wu Shi, Bai Shing Hsian Sheng Sheng”). One phrase is drawn from a Japanese song that shaped me in my youth, where a lullaby heals the protagonist (“From far away comes the song of ‘lu li la lu li la,’ who is singing this lullaby?”). Other fragments arise from shamanic utterance or take inspiration from ancient Egyptian and Arabic phonetics.

Language is a creation of civilization. Yet when civilization returns to nature, language becomes a means of connection and communication. When multiple languages intertwine in this piece and shed their literal meanings, they transform into vessels of emotion. The listener’s response and interpretation become the complete meaning of the lyrics. In that sense, the work is co-created between myself and each listener.

I sang the vocal interpretation in the switching between sacred and wild. The divine and the wild aspects of humanity merge with nature and the cosmos, becoming part of resonance and blessing.

Across history and cultures, religion and nature have always been deeply intertwined. That is why I incorporated religious percussion instruments from different parts of the world, including Japanese kagura suzu, Korean shaman bells, church bells from Cyprus, Tibetan cymbals, along with choral techniques inspired by liturgical singing. These elements together create a soundscape that feels both intimate and transcendent, forming a sense of connection across time and space.

In terms of instrumentation, the piece brings together symphonic instruments, world instruments, and electrified ones. Together, they reflect a condensed timeline of human civilization. Technology and culture are not separate from nature. They are part of it. Nature links all things and embraces all differences. In this piece, sound becomes a vessel for history and a channel through which energy flows between human beings, nature, and the universe.

This piece is my way of portraying the unity of humanity, nature, and the cosmos. We are all children of nature and the universe.

POSTER DESIGN 海报设计：

海报融合了日出，极光，满月，红日，流星（我亲眼见到的第一颗和许下的愿望），彗星，星轨，湖水，沙漠，日落，云层。拍摄素材来自于这些年间我自己的拍摄，附加我穿着毕业袍（巫师袍），手拿神乐铃，在风中，水边和星辰中施法，和另一个我向日暮远处的云层走去。图中刻意看不清我的脸，因为宇宙之子可以是任何一个人，这里只需要一个人的形状。这个人可以呼风唤雨，但也不过只是宇宙中的一个孩子。

The poster blends elements of sunrise, aurora, full moon, crimson sun, meteors (the first one I have ever seen and the wish I have made), comets, star trails, lake water, desert, sunset, and layered clouds. The footage was captured by me over the years. In it, I appear wearing my graduation robe, which resembles a sorcerer’s cloak, holding a kagura suzu, casting spells in the wind, by the water, and beneath the stars. In one scene, another version of myself walks toward the clouds at dusk.

My face is deliberately left indistinct because the child of the universe can be anyone. All that is needed here is the shape of a person. This figure may summon wind and rain, but in the end, it is simply just a child of the vast universe.