FOR ORCHESTRA; AN INTRODUCTION TO BEETHOVEN’S 9TH SYMPHONY
Commissioned by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, 2026

Program notes by the composer, Daixuan Ai:

In elementary school, my music teacher taught us to sing Sakura, Sakura (“Cherry blossoms,
cherry blossoms”), a traditional Japanese folk song celebrating the arrival of spring. I learned that the cherry blossom holds a special place in Japanese culture precisely because of its brevity: blossoming for only a few weeks each year, its fleeting beauty becomes a quiet meditation on the transience of life – and a reminder to cherish each moment while it lasts.

There was a cherry blossom tree in front of our family home. I spent countless afternoons at the living room window, watching pink petals drift in the breeze, not yet knowing that quiet scene would become one of my most treasured memories. I haven’t been back in fifteen years. But when I close my eyes, I can still see it clearly – like the face of a dear old friend.

That image has stayed with me. Now I try to find the “cherry blossom tree” in every situation and every person I meet – even if it blooms only briefly, even if I have to leave it behind. The memory still brings a smile to my face, and for that alone, I am grateful.

There is an Okinawan proverb: Though we meet but once, even by chance, we ore friends for life. Beethoven’s Ninth was built on a radical idea – that all people are equal, and worthy of joy. Perhaps in 2026, we can hold onto another: that everyone we meet, however briefly our paths have crossed, is already a friend for life.

Hear this piece, along with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, on May 16, 2026, 7pm, at the IU Muscial Arts Center. Get your tickets here