As a composer of innovative creation, Apple's work Mulan Fantasie(2014) for symphonic band was selected final three compositions for the final stage of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) 2017 1st International Composition Contest. The final competition was held at TivoliVredenburg Concert Hall in Utrecht on July 19th during the WASBE International Conference (July 18th – 22nd, 2017), conducted by Bjorn Bus and performed by the Orchestra of the Dutch Customs. Mulan Fantasie premiered at the concert "East Meets West" in Zhongzheng Auditorium of Zhongshan Hall in Taipei Taiwan in August 2014. The piece was highly praised and was performed at several concerts by many wind ensembles, including the performance by the Harmonie Municipale de Sion, conducted by Stéphane Delley in Switzerland in 2019 and 2021; the performance by the Macau Youth Symphonic Bandin at the Opening Gala Concert of Certamen Internacional de Bandes de Música “Ciutat de València” 2019 (The 2019 International Music Band Contest City of Valencia) in Spain and “Banda Filarmónica de Macau” in Porto, Portugal in July 2019; the concert “Taiwanilainen Ilta” performed by Laivaston soittokunta(Finland Navy Band) in Turku, Finland in September 2018;  The concert "The Circle of the Sound" National Taiwan University Alumni Wind Band 14th anniversary concert, performed by Taiwan University Alumni Wind Band in Xinzhuang Culture and Arts Center in Taiwan in July 2018.

​

​

​

In September 2017, Apple was invited by the Confucius Institute at China Institute in New York that her four original works The Wind Walk, Bamboo, Pine Smoke Cursive, and Silk Road Fantasie were performed by the New Asia Chamber Music Society(NACMS) at the concert “Songs for the Sage: A Confucius Day Celebration”, as reflected in China Institute’s exhibition Dreams of the Kings: A Jade Suit for Eternity, Treasures of the Han Dynasty from Xuzhou.  In season 2016-17, she was invited by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office(TECO) in New York, to write Thank You MTA, Thank You from Taiwan, a piece dedicated to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) as the opening song at the concert “Embarking on the journey - Fulfilling the Dream” that Taiwanese government showed appreciation to MTA and Apple also performed as the conductor for this opening piece. In the same season, she was commissioned by the NACMS; her work titled Spring for Erhu and string ensemble was world premiered at the Merkin Concert Hall of Kaufman Music Center in New York City in April 2017. The piece brilliantly showed the inherited meaning of the Spring season in Asian culture. As an international Taiwanese composer, Apple was invited by the Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York and her piece Silk Road Fantasie for string quartet was performed at the concert “Impression Formosa - a sketchbook of contemporary music from Taiwan” presented by Taiwan Academy at TECO and performed by NACMS in June 2017. In the same year, Apple's original works The Wind Walk, Pine Smoke Cursive, and Silk Road Fantasie premiered at the 2017 JuMing Museum Summer Nights Opening concert "The Wind Arrives while I Walk” in Taiwan in July. In 2016 fall, her work Silk Road Fantasie for the string quartet premiered at the International Chamber Orchestra of America's annual Fall – Winter series concert “Silk Road Fantasia Night” in New York City. In 2015, Apple's piece Wild Cursive for 13 Percussionists was premiered by the NYU Percussion Ensemble at Loewe Theater as the final piece, in which, she especially used the element of water, bamboo, scarf, paper, and pebbles, conveying the essence and beauty of the wild cursive calligraphy.

​

 

 

 

 

With a passion to praise nature and an ingrained love for her hometown, Taiwan, Apple again, delivered the beauty and uniqueness of the nature motherland with her unique voice of composition. She was commissioned by the world-class percussion group in Taiwan, the Ju Percussion Group, and composed the commissioned work "The Mountain for 8 percussionists" which grandly blends the elements of water, pebbles, and traditional Eastern instruments based on Apple's exploration. The piece was world premiered in the concert "Sound Ideas", the final chapter in a three-year “Cross-Generation Commissioned Works Trilogy”, which was held in March 2019 at National Concert Hall in Taipei Taiwan. The unique arrangement and technique using the water, pebbles, and specially selected Eastern percussion instruments with more original sounds and colors, "The Mountain" delivered the poetic and epic spirit and voice of the beautiful mountains in Taiwan, echoing the life and philosophy throughout the history hidden in the land and culture. The Ju Percussion Group also gave a special performance of "The Mountain" at the 2022 Taoyuan Land Art Festival, an outstanding annual art festival in Taiwan, reflecting the spirit of the festival's theme: ‘River, Flow, Pulse.’ It brings together 28 artists from Taiwan and abroad, collaborating with 14 local communities and schools to showcase 30 installation artworks. The festival conveys the concepts of sustainability through "ecology," "life," and "production." From the weaving art of indigenous national treasure-level masters to bamboo weaving techniques, and the use of recycled and natural materials, the festival also incorporates music and performance groups, showcasing a dialogue between art and nature.
 

 

With a wholehearted love for nature, Apple is also dedicated to nature protection in June 2017, she held the charity concert "The Fragrance-for ocean protection" in New York Manhattan for donations to help the international non-profit organization, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. The programs are all in depictions of nature and animals, featuring her original composition pieces: The Sound of the Land, The Cloud, The Unknown Bird, and the songs arranged by Apple. She also played the piano and conducted the opening song The Sound of the Land to start the concert. The performance was highly praised by the audience and it also garnered rave reviews overseas. In addition to classical music, Apple wrote the score for "Betsy Blue", a motion graphic artwork, which was exhibited at "2015 Big Screen" at the leading media and Internet venue: InterActiveCorp(IAC) in New York City. The work was also exhibited at "The Expanded Cinema August 2016 showcase" at NY Media Center by IFP in August 2016.



 

Apple Chang received her Master of Music degree in Music Theory and Composition at New York University(NYU) Steinhardt School. As a passionate and dedicated artist, Apple was the only chosen exchange student of the 2012 University of North Texas, music department on behalf of the music department of National Taiwan Normal University(Taiwan premium music school), where she studied piano with Steven Harlos and studied jazz piano with Sergio Pamies. She also performed as the live pianist for ballet and modern dance at several schools and dance studios from 2012 to 2015, including Cloud Gate dance studio in Taiwan, Taipei National University of the Arts(TNUA), the TISCH dance department at New York University and the dance department in the University of North Texas. In 2014 summer, Apple was specially invited by Cloud Gate Dance studio in Taipei, as the live pianist for the "2014 Cloud Gate Dance Summer Modern Dance Camp." As an active composer, Apple has collaborated with renowned conductors, performing artists and group, including Ju Percussion Group(Taiwan); Yu-An Chang(conductor), first prize winner of 2016 7th international Conducting Competition Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest; Tim Duncan Cho(conductor), the artistic director of Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, K Radio Philharmonic Orchestra; Kevin Lin(violinist), the co-leader of London Philharmonic Orchestra(2017-2018 season); William Wei(violinist), the unranked laureate of 2015 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition; Wei-Yang Andy Lin(violist), previous member of chamber music society of Lincoln Center and the founder and artistic director of New Asia Chamber Music Society; Nan Cheng, Chen(cellist), first prize winner of 2010 Queens Symphony Concerto Competition; Suhyun Park, violinist of New York Philharmonic Orchestra; Richard Lin(violinist), first Prize in 10th International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (2018); Jung-Hsuan Ko(cellist), the assistant principal cello of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; Bryan Haslet(cellist), first prize winner of the Alexander & Buono International String Competition.

​

 

With a unique musical language that fuses Eastern and Western influences, while delivering the essence of Taiwanese culture and aesthetics, Apple’s compositions captured the attention of one of Taiwan’s premier orchestras, OneSong Orchestra. The orchestra is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the island’s musical legacy, while inspiring future generations to appreciate and contribute to Taiwan’s evolving musical landscape. As a reflection of her distinctive cultural identity in music, Apple’s two string quartet compositions, “Pine Smoke_Cursive” and “Silk Road Fantasie”, were selected as competition pieces for the ‘2023 First ONE SONG International Music Competition – String Quartet.’ This selection echoes OneSong’s philosophy of rooting itself in local culture while embracing innovation, creating a bridge between the past and present. As a cultural ambassador bringing the spirit of Taiwan to audiences at home and abroad, Apple was also commissioned to rearrange her original composition Spring into a version for solo violin and string ensemble. The new arrangement premiered with OneSong Orchestra in Taiwan, featured in a five-concert series held at the renowned Eslite Spectrum Songyan Store Performance Hall during the Taiwanese Lunar New Year season in 2024. This collaboration further highlighted the orchestra’s commitment to showcasing Taiwanese music while nurturing its distinct cultural roots.

This season, Apple was commissioned by violinist Sheng-Ching Hsu, a member of Delirium Musicum, California Symphony, and New West Symphony, who also serves as guest principal second violinist of St. Matthew's Chamber Orchestra and is a faculty member at CSULB and Colburn Community School of Performing Arts. The commissioned piece, titled “Danse de Ballet en Solo”, for solo violin and piano, reflects the years of accumulated scars, relentless training, and unwavering perseverance of ballet dancers behind their glamorous appearance on stage. The selection of “Danse de Ballet en Solo” was premiered at a concert held at Brand Library Recital Hall in Los Angeles on October 12, 2024. Themed ‘Her Voices’, the concert featured music by female composers from past to contemporary times, including Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, Apple Chang, Marjorie Merryman, Kala Ramnath, Michiru Oshima, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The complete version of “Danse de Ballet en Solo” will premiere in February 2025 at three concerts titled ‘Transformation,’ held at Daniel Recital Hall at CSULB-Bob Cole Conservatory in Los Angeles(2/3 19:30), Taipei National Concert Hall(2/7 19:30), and the Recital Hall at Weiwuying Performing Center(2/16 15:00) in Taiwan. The violin will be performed by Sheng-Ching Hsu, with Josh Tatsuo Cullen on piano. The program for the three concerts includes compositions by J.S. Bach (Partita No. 3), E. Schulhoff (Sonata No. 2), S. Rachmaninoff (Romance), Amy Beach (Romance), and A. Andrzejowski (Romance). Apple’s “Danse de Ballet en Solo” is featured as the thematic work for this ‘Transformation’ concert series.

By exploring the full capacities of both Western and Eastern instrumentation, Apple’s composition unfolds a new chapter in the field of music composition, reflecting the essence of cultural and historical aesthetics.