The Quiet Piece was composed between 2023 and the summer of 2024 for four percussionists on one vibraphone. Different from my other music, which is typically fast and loud, I intended to make this piece slow and calm. That's why I titled it The Quiet Piece.

The main technique of The Quiet Piece is pitch-bending on the vibraphone. Pitch bend has always been one of my favorite techniques, frequently used on string and wind instruments. This time, I applied it to percussion. Pitch-bending on the vibraphone typically involves pressing a hard mallet onto the bar at a nodal point and then sliding it away from the node as the note sustains, creating a bending effect. This piece thoroughly explores this technique in many ways.

The Quiet Piece does not have a deeper meaning; it is simply intended to provide a moment of peace for us.

(Wenbin Lyu, June 20, 2024)

July 12, 2024; Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival; Portland, Oregon; Sandbox Percussion

June 12, 2024 (premiere); Sandbox Percussion Seminar; The New School; New York, NY; Sandbox Percussion