If the Ocean Had Wings... was written in June 2022 for the SPLICE Institute and virtuoso pianist Vicki Ray. The initial spark came from the video game It Takes Two, whose imaginative world inspired me to write something equally fantastical. The title, however, was chosen later, simply reflecting how I felt about the music after finishing it. It doesn’t explain much, but I find it beautifully poetic.

This piece is a fantasia about the universe, nature, and curiosity. The piano and electronics create an endless journey, and every time I hear it, it shows me something new. The music explores the timbral richness of the piano across its registers, while fast-paced textures highlight the pianist’s virtuosity.

I don’t often mention it, but I really like this piece.

Wenbin Lyu
August 29, 2025

July 12, 2025; Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music; Bowdoin College; Brunswick, ME; Anna Sunmin Park

May 12, 2025; University of Oregon; Eugene, OR; Juan Sebastian Avendaño

November 7, 2024; CMS National Conferences; Washington Hilton; Washington, D.C.; Zhaoyuan Qin

June 14, 2024; PMTA state conference; Kutztown university; Kutztown, PA; Sha Wang/Mikaela Dassanaike-Perera

February 3, 2024; FSU Festival of New Music; Florida State University; Tallahassee, FL; Quin Nardone

January 30, 2024; Napoleon Electronic Media Festival; Eastern Illinois University; Charleston, IL; Shichao Zhang

November 15, 2023; Cincinnati Conservatory of Music; Cincinnati, OH; Catherine Fields

October 19, 2023; International Computer Music Conference; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Shenzhen, China; Meishan Lin

June 22, 2023; New Music Gathering; Portland State University; Portland, OR; Zhaoyuan Qin

May 19, 2023; Asian Classical Music Initiative International Conference; Rutgers University; New Brunswick, NJ; Zhaoyuan Qin

April 7, 2023; SEAMUS Conference; New York City, NY; Shiau-uen Ding

March 31, 2023; UNK New Music Festival; University of Nebraska; Kearney, NE; Mirim Kim

March 11, 2023; Electronic Music Midwest; Kansas City Kansas Community College; Kansas City, Kansas; Zhaoyuan Qin

October 19, 2022; Sonic Exploration; Cincinnati Conservatory of Music; Cincinnati, OH; Mu-Tien Lai

July 2, 2022 (premiere);SPLICE Institute; Western Michigan University; Kalamazoo, MI; Vicki Ray