Mountain of Echoing Halls for yangqin, string quartet and dance (2023) 18.25’

  • Commissioned by the Verona Quartet and Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

  • Premiered at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art centennial celebrations by the Verona Quartet, myself (yangqin), and choreographer-dancer Hannah Jew

  • Instrumental version recorded and performed by the Bergamot Quartet and myself

  • Winner of the 2024 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award (Honorable Mention)

A.I. Funk for erhu, pipa, guzheng, cello, electric guitar and electronics (2023) 5.38’

  • Commissioned and performed by The TENG Ensemble

  • Produced (and electronics) by Alex Hooi

    “Koh Cheng Jin’s A.I. Funk went even further by being an atonal passacaglia. With quasi-improvisational flourishes built on a rhythmic ground bass, it sounded surprisingly approachale.”

    - The Straits Times, Singapore

Tang - Moonlit Fragrance 《唐. 夜旋香》for dizi, pipa, erhu, zhonghu, piano, percussion (2023) 9’

  • Commissioned and premiered by Ding Yi Music Company 鼎藝團, conducted by Joshua Tan

    “a brave attempt at changing things up and bringing new life and audiences. These layers are appreciated, as they showcase a different side and sound to the piano, and together, it results in a unique cultural musical piece. " - Bakchormeeboy (online review)

A Fleeting Perennity 《刹那的永恒》 for saxophone and yangqin (2022) 11.50’

  • Commissioned and premiered by Samuel Phua and Jieqing Tan

  • Inspired by Pingyu Sun’s original poetry

  • Rearranged for saxophone and piano for subsequent concerts in the UK and Singapore

    “New York-based Koh Cheng Jin’s A Fleeting Perennity was inspired by a poem about Suntec City’s Fountain of Wealth. Alto sax was rewarded with lyrical moments accompanied by gentle piano ostinatos. Volume and tempos would rise, like sprayed water jets, but the work closed quietly.” - The Straits Times, Singapore

Flavorful Delights 《琴琴有味》for flute, violin, zhongruan, guzheng, cello, percussion (2022) 5.19’

  • Commissioned by Yvonne Tay

  • Premiered by Cheryl Lim, Gabriel Lee, Minhui Koh, Yvonne Tay, Junsian Chee and Derek Koh

  • Subsequently rearranged for Chinese ensemble for Ding Yi Music Company

YAMA - God of Hell for mixed ensemble, dance and art (2019) 13’

  • Written for the 2019 Juilliard-National Sawdust Blueprint Fellowship

  • Premiered by Emily Duncan, Chris Grymes, Brendan Zak, Philip Sheegog, myself (yangqin), Derek Wang, Stella Perlic and choreographer-dancer Can Wang, conducted by Raquel Klein

  • Animation by Tengku Hana Shafikah

  • Winner of the 2020 Juilliard School Palmer Dixon Prize