In Universal Connection โ Junko, OHNomad (the musical alias of classical composer Owens Huang) transcends borders with this tribute. Composed for flute, cello, and piano, the piece is the third in his ongoing Universal Connection series and a cultural and intimate homage to friends from around the world. On the other hand, this installment also honors the Japanese elder, architectural designer, and symbol of enduring grace, Junko, bringing her essence in the sound with reverence and artistry.
The piece opens with hushed, near-whispered tones, allowing you the space to reflect. Then, a deep, sorrowful cello line emerges like a sigh from the earth, winding through the composition with emotional gravity. It anchors the work, offering the heaviness of time and lived experience. The piano enters softly with its notes light and searching, almost like tentative memories surfacing. The flute soon joins, its higher register weaving around the other instruments like a breeze through cherry blossomsโephemeral, yet stirring.
The beautiful tension throughout the piece is between fragility and strength, between modern complexity and traditional elegance. You can hear Junkoโs life story in the music: her poise, her resilience, and the language of survival. The gentle dissonances are contemplative as they hold space for bittersweet truths. The brief moments where the cello plucks its chords offer a breath, like the pause between thoughts or the stillness of a teacup settling.
As the instruments rise into crescendo, they swell, gracefully. The music moves as precisely and expressively as calligraphy strokes on a page.
Performed by the brilliant trio of Ann Kuo (flute), Keina Satoh (cello), and Chi-Jo Lee (piano), and recorded by Grammy-winning engineer Matthew Snyder, the piece is technically refined and emotionally immersive. You donโt simply hear this music. You feel it brush against your own memories, your own longings.
In Junko, OHNomad reminds us that music is a living bridge, not only between cultures, but between generations, between silence and speech, and between individuals. Check it out on YouTube.
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Review by: Naomi Joan