F I O N A – X U E · J U

#Instruments+electronics

F**KING WORLD

2025 | electric guitar, live electronics, and interactive lights

Commissioned and Performed by Drew Farrar (www.drewmfarrar.com)

F**king World places the electric guitarist front and center, like a man on a mission—to control, to lead, to conquer the stage and everything beyond it. The guitar becomes a symbol of power, swaggering with the raw energy of rock and metal, unraveling the macho dream of being “man enough” in a world where dominance is the ultimate prize.

Layered with the speeches of politicians, CEOs, and those who claim to run the world, their commanding words initially reinforce the illusion of control. Power is everything, and the more you have, the more invincible you feel. But as the power grows, so does the madness. The guitarist’s desire to lead spirals into chaos, and the world he thought he controlled begins to unravel. The once empowering energy turns reckless, destructive—literally f**king the world. It’s a wild, unstoppable descent, where the very thing that promised greatness brings ruin. The question remains: is power worth the cost? Who’s really in control when everything falls apart?

*Trigger Warning: This performance contains strobe lighting effects, which may potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.

Collaborative composition by Fiona Xue Ju and Carolina Santiago

Ping Pong Game

2022 | for grand piano and electronics
(fixed media and live electronics)

_{Fiona Xue Ju: composer, live electronics performer
Carolina Santiago: co-composer, curator, pianist}

Deconstructing the piano as a ping pong table, both artists gave rise to a piece in which musical material was shared back and forth until creating a three-movement work based on the playfulness of the creative act in itself.

Premiered in Hamburg HfMT, 14 July 2022

Dialogue: I, the wind, the dust, the immensity

2021 | for accordion, cello, and field recording of aeolian wind harp installation

Dedicated to John Grzinich’s sound installation “Powerless Flight” aeolian wind harp

This piece is dedicated to John Grzinich’s sound installation “Powerless Flight” aeolian wind harp that was built in an open field near Copper Leg Residency in northern Estonia. This piece is also a reconstruction of my memory of exploring and listening to this sound installation during the residency week on January 2021. I aim to create an environment that is in sync with an actual moving force of nature. It shows a process of gradually noticing the presence of the natural forces, from subtle changes to invisible and massive energies. In this piece, the sound installation in the natural environment is moved to an enclosed space; the dialogue and interaction generated by the acoustic instruments recreate the acoustic characteristics of the wind harp, thus it brings a different listening experience to the audience.

Composer: Fiona Xue Ju
Accordion: Bastien Pouillès
Cello: Carmen Kleykens Vidal
Recorded on May 28, 2021, at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (Kungliga Musikhögskolan), Lilla Salen concert hall
Sound recording: Giovanni Onorato
Sound editing: Fiona Xue Ju
Video editing: Fiona Xue Ju
Field recording materials of aeolian wind harp installation are recorded by: Fiona Xue Ju / John Grzinich
Photos in video background credit to: https://maaheli.ee/main/powerless-fli…

Premiered on May 28, 2021, in the Lilla Salen concert hall, the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (Kungliga Musikhögskolan), Sweden.

Abstraktes Bild

2018 | flute/alto flute and fixed media

For flute/alto flute and fixed media. Inspired by Gerhard Richter’s abstract paintings. I utilized electronically reprocessed sounds of a variety of recorded flute timbres to present the texture of the paintings. During the live performance, the flutist made seveal single sounds which represented the role of a scraper, a brush or the artist himself. The fixed media part shows the effect of the overall color. It was premiered on April 26th 2018 in Warner Concert Hall, Oberlin Conservatory, USA.

FRAGRANCES

2017 | ensemble and fixed media

Suite for 9 musicians and fixed media comprising seven movements based on seven smells: I. Bamboo and Jasmine, II. Rosemary Mint, III. Japanese Cherry Blossom, IV. Ocean Flowers, V. Spiced Pomegranate, VI. Apple Cinnamon, VII. Nag Champa. The electronic and acoustic sounds mixed and filled the air to create an environment or a concept related to the sense of smell. Premiered in April 29th 2017 in Stull Recital Hall, Oberlin Conservatory, USA.