About the Piece

Hear a Sample

Instrumentation:

Solo for prepared snare drum + small Chinese hand cymbal

Exclusionary Period:

1 year starting on Delivery date. (January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2026)

Project Description:

the stars stay silent reflects much of the anxiety and anger I found while I was younger, in situations where I felt lost and abandoned—as if I had cried out to the stars for help, and they had remained silent. Nervous hisses and buzzes and slams from the snare drum and hand cymbal echo complicated emotions centering around determination and exhaustion and fear and hope.

About the Composer

Visit Sebastian's Website

Composer Bio:

Unapologetically embracing the electric nostalgia of a younger generation, Sebastian Zhang (b. 2003) is a composer-percussionist influenced by the modern chiptune scene, upbeat video game riffs, math-rock melodies, and jazz fusion. His music draws upon scenes of everyday life—from chasing tadpoles to memories of cartoon ice cream—and how they echo grander themes of merry wonder and existentialist hope.

Sebastian has written for Sandbox Percussion, the University of Texas Percussion Ensemble, and Blacktop Percussion. An award-winning composer, recognitions include the Tribeca New Music Emerging Composer Award, the I Exist Project Emerging Composer Award, and alternate for the Icarus Quartet iQ Test call for collaborators. His music has been performed across the United States, at events such as the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), the Round Top Festival Institute, the Victoria Bach Festival, and the Great Plains International Marimba Competition; several of his works appear on the Texas UIL Prescribed Music List (PML) and the Missouri MSHSAA PML.

Fostering connections between art and people, Sebastian is the co-founder and co-artistic director of the Austin Percussion Collective, a chamber percussion group immersed in the singer-songwriter live music scene of Austin, Texas.

Sebastian is an avid player of the asalato, a West African shaker percussion instrument with a prominent virtuosic solo subculture in Japan. In 2024, he advanced to the top 8 at the ASALATO NIGHT Freestyle Battle in Kyoto, Japan.

Sebastian is currently pursuing a BM in Music Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. His instructors include Ivan Trevino, Omar Thomas, Yevgeniy Sharlat, and Thomas Burritt.

How to Participate

Thank you for supporting the creation of new music through New Works Project! Here's how you can join this exciting journey:

Donate Directly
- You can contribute by making a direct donation to the consortium.
- Donations will list your name as a contributor in the final score, but they will not include a copy of the music or other rewards.
Register as a Consortium Participant
1. To unlock rewards, Complete this Participant Agreement
2. Make your donation or use the Join this Project button above to create your crowdfunding page.
  As a Consortium Participant, you can fundraise, track your progress, and receive exclusive rewards, including:
  - - $75–$100: Name in the score and a digital copy of the piece as a thank-you gift.
    - $101–$150: Name in the score and a print copy of the piece as a thank-you gift.
    - $150+: Name in the score and both digital and print copies of the piece as thank-you gifts.
  - All Consortium Participants who receive a copy of the piece ($75+ tier or higher) will also enjoy 12 months of exclusive performance rights to the piece once the project is 100% funded. See Participant Agreement for more details.
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For questions or assistance, please reach out to us at info@newworksproject.org.

"the stars stay silent" by Sebastian Zhang

By New Works Project

"the stars stay silent" by Sebastian Zhang

Solo for prepared snare drum + small Chinese hand cymbal

Team Members