Press

Opera Review: A Triple Header of Winners at the New Works Collective

"They (Bass Chwe MinChul An and Soprano Kealani ) were well supported by composer Tsui’s attractive score, which neatly melds contemporary Western and traditional Chinese sounds. That includes some arresting solos for the erhu (a two-stringed violin that dates back to the 7th-century Tang dynasty) played impeccably by Fang Liu."

Lunar New Year Children's Opera 'The Big Swim' Returns for Second Year of Sold-Out Performances

"Asia Society Texas (AST), in co-production with Houston Grand Opera, welcomed guests to the second annual presentation of the chamber opera The Big Swim through a weekend-long extravaganza of sold-out performances and interactive experiences, immersing audiences in a lively and dynamic introduction to Lunar New Year traditions."

HGO PREMIERES A COLORFUL CHILDREN’S OPERA OF COOPERATION WITH “THE BIG SWIM” - TEXAS CLASSICAL REVIEW

"The twelve animals, portrayed by six singers, make up the opera’s cast. As the creatures enter, one or two at a time, Tsui’s lively, colorful score helps their personalities come across—from the live-wire rat to the sultry snake... Tsui’s six-player instrumental group generally chimes in energetically—sometimes with chugging ostinatos—but lightly enough to let the voices come through."

THE ASPEN TIMES REVIEW

"Mei-ling Meilina Tsui, from Kazakhstan by way of Hong Kong, wrote irresistible, emotionally convincing music that drew from her own culture and that of countertenor Key’mon Murrah, who grew up in a Black family in Kentucky. Both said the poet’s words resonated with their histories, and the music, and Murrah’s performance with pianist Manuel Arellano, certainly conveyed it. Let us hope that we get to hear it again and again."

INTERVIEW WITH THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES

Tsui's interview in Cantonese with the Hong Kong Economic Times, in which she talks about her mixed cultural background and upbringing in Hong Kong, her musical influences and experiences she's had as a composer, and her thoughts on education. Article also advertises the world premiere of Tsui's new work “Secret Labyrinth” commissioned by Musicus Society.