Lecture
Naples Philharmonic presents Meilina Tsui
Composer’s Talk
Meilina Tsui, composer
Join us for a special discussion with composer Meilina Tsui as she delves into the inspiration and creative process behind her new work, Floridian Symphony, before its world premiere by the Naples Philharmonic under the baton of Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley on December 13-14 in Hayes Hall.
In this talk, the Kazakhstan-born, Hong Konger-American composer — now based in Orlando — shares insights into her unique perspective shaped by her multicultural background, blending East Asian, Central Asian and Western influences. Discover how her life in a Florida suburb, surrounded by diverse wildlife, sparked the themes in Floridian Symphony, and hear about her experiences growing up multilingual in Hong Kong. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn how Tsui’s life journey shaped her work, giving audiences a glimpse into the world behind the music.
This Composer's Talk is part of the concert A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Meilina Tsui
Meilina Tsui
Meilina Tsui is a Kazakhstan-born, Hong Konger-American composer, pianist and educator based in Orlando, Florida. She is the first classical composer of Dungan descent to gain international recognition, intertwining elements of East Asian, Central Asian and Western cultures in her work.
Tsui’s music has been commissioned and performed by the Houston Grand Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Hong Kong Philharmonic and Naples Philharmonic, among others. Her recent opera, The Big Swim, co-commissioned by Houston Grand Opera, premiered to sold-out performances in 2024 and was listed by OperaWire as a top opera to see worldwide.
Selected for the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commission and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’s New Works Collective, Tsui continues to develop works celebrated for their vibrant exploration of heritage and cultural healing, such as Ay-Ay, Bopem, a Kazakh lullaby addressing racial injustice. Tsui holds degrees from the University of Michigan, King’s College London and Chinese University of Hong Kong.
