Cui believes that in a ludic³ and pharmacopornographic⁴ century, their generation powerlessly faces a teleologically relentless Whig-party world, in which the ancient world has never been so defamiliarized. They thus confront the millennial expectation with privately metaphorized queertopian⁵ ancient allegories that are trolling, abjectly poised and childishly frivolous materials in an almost Apollonian form. Cui uses the term Gesamtkuns-Twerk to describe some of their works (Read Twink Death).

The philosophy of Cui’s composition reflects their interests in linguistics, classical philology (Read Saijōtai Yamata[i]-K[h]itan No. 2), anthropology, religions, medical humanities, art history and history (Read Impasse of the Weasels). Cui’s music is deeply influenced by their ethnomusicological interests, especially their research into the performance and instrument-making of early Silk Road music (Read Bayanbulak) from the 11th century BC to the 17th century AD, for solo instruments (Read Wasserlenken.), operas, court music (Read Phalanx Break), and vocal traditions (Read DU, nouvelle prière bouddhique).

Cui graduated from Swarthmore College with a BA in Philosophy in 2025. Having begun studying music in their junior year, they are now in the early stages of a career as a professional composer. They studied with Gerald Levinson, Thomas Whitman, and Erin Busch, and currently study with Daniel Pesca at the Eastman School of Music in an MA program in composition. So far, they have collaborated with the Jasper String Quartet, Relâche Ensemble, American Choral Directors Association, American Guild of Organists, Passacaglia Chamber Music Collective, Swarthmore Orchestra, Garnet Singers, and Fetter Music Program. They were selected to work with Roderick Williams OBE, Anton Armstrong, Damin Spritzer, Hannah Rose Nicholas, and Mark Loria on composition, voice, organ and choral conducting. As a concert musician, they have often been commissioned to perform new compositions. They received a Freeman Scholars award in 2024 and the Warren Benson Scholarship and Hannah A. Leedom Fellowship in 2026 for their talents in voice and composition.

Outside of music, Cui is a professional illustrator and enjoys translating and writing (Read Blog).

Footnotes

1. As of October, 2026. ↩

2. They use any pronouns. ↩

3. Eric Zimmerman, “Manifesto for a Ludic Century,” in The Gameful World: Approaches, Issues, Applications, ed. Steffen P. Walz and Sebastian Deterding (MIT Press, 2015), 19–22. ↩

4. Paul B. Preciado, Testo Junkie: Sex, Drugs, and Biopolitics in the Pharmacopornographic Era, trans. Bruce Benderson (Feminist Press, 2013). ↩

5. José Esteban Muñoz, Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, 10th anniversary ed. (New York University Press, 2019). ↩

崔浥新認為，在一個遊戲的²與藥物色情的³世紀，其所屬的世代無力地面對一個目的論永不停歇的輝格式世界；在這樣的世界中，古代從未如此陌生化。因此，選擇以私人隱喻化的、指向酷兒烏托邦⁴的古代寓言，對峙新千年的期待：這些充滿戲弄、卑賤而從容、幼稚而輕佻的材料，被置於近乎阿波羅式的形式之中。並以 Gesamtkuns-Twerk 一詞形容其中一些作品 （閱讀 菊花殘）。

其作曲哲學反映出對語言學、古典語文學 （閱讀 罪狀體邪馬臺綺譚 其二）、人類學、宗教、醫學人文、藝術史與歷史的興趣 （閱讀 鼬ノ困）。其音樂深受民族音樂學興趣影響，尤其是對公元前十一世紀至公元十七世紀早期絲綢之路音樂的演奏與樂器製作研究 （閱讀 巴音布魯克），涵蓋獨奏樂器 （閱讀 疏導法）、歌劇、宮廷音樂 （閱讀 破陣）與聲樂傳統 （閱讀 妳度：古代佛教祈禱）。

2025 年，崔浥新畢業於斯沃斯莫爾學院，取得哲學文學士學位。自大學三年級開始學習音樂，目前正處於職業作曲家生涯的起步階段。曾隨 Gerald Levinson、Thomas Whitman 與 Erin Busch 學習，目前於伊斯曼音樂學院作曲碩士課程隨 Daniel Pesca 學習。迄今合作對象包括 Jasper String Quartet、Relâche Ensemble、American Choral Directors Association、American Guild of Organists、Passacaglia Chamber Music Collective、Swarthmore Orchestra、Garnet Singers 與 Fetter Music Program。曾獲選與 Roderick Williams OBE、Anton Armstrong、Damin Spritzer、Hannah Rose Nicholas 及 Mark Loria 在作曲、聲樂、管風琴及合唱指揮領域交流。作為音樂會演奏者，亦常受委約演出新作。憑藉聲樂與作曲方面的才能，於 2024 年獲頒 Freeman Scholars，並於 2026 年獲頒 Warren Benson Scholarship 與 Hannah A. Leedom Fellowship。

音樂之外，崔浥新是一位職業插畫師，亦喜愛翻譯與寫作 （閱讀 網誌）。

註釋

1. 截至 2026 年 10 月。 ↩

2. Eric Zimmerman, “Manifesto for a Ludic Century,” in The Gameful World: Approaches, Issues, Applications, ed. Steffen P. Walz and Sebastian Deterding (MIT Press, 2015), 19–22. ↩

3. Paul B. Preciado, Testo Junkie: Sex, Drugs, and Biopolitics in the Pharmacopornographic Era, trans. Bruce Benderson (Feminist Press, 2013). ↩

4. José Esteban Muñoz, Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, 10th anniversary ed. (New York University Press, 2019). ↩