Skyward Unchained was composed in the spring of 2025, after I broke free from a chapter where life had taken everything from me. For nearly two years, I had been unable to create. This piece became my first true work after that silence. It charts the journey from the shadows I once walked through to the wings I’ve now found. While composing, I imagined myself bathed in golden sunlight, the endless blue sky wrapping me in its warmth, and the wind whispering promises of new beginnings.

This is one of my rare lyrical works. Like my other slow pieces, it carries profound personal meaning and holds a special place in my heart. The music grew longer and longer as I wrote, as my emotions poured out and the piece naturally expanded. On the day I finished it, bird calls drifted through my window, and I felt truly blessed in that moment. Therefore, I felt truly proud when I came up with the title, Skyward Unchained.

(Wenbin Lyu, March 9, rev. April 1, 2025)

May 15 & 16, 2027; New England Botanic Garden; Boylston, MA; Juventas New Music Ensemble

November 3, 2025; A View From the Edge; Cohen Family Studio Theater; Cincinnati, OH; Jungeun Noh & Dasom Kwon

May 4, 2025 (premiere); Glow Music; MYCincinnati Firehouse; Cincinnati, OH; Jungeun Noh & Dasom Kwon