Songhao Yao

Songhao’s research explores effects of breathing patterns in non-wind instruments (instruments working without air).

Supervised by Professor Emily Howard and Dr Larry Goves, Songhao Yao is focusing on using practice-based approach to notate the physical breathing actions of non-wind instruments in performance and developing them into compositional techniques. The embryonic theory of the research was presented on the collaboration with RNCM Brand New Octet on the piece Samsara (2021).

Songhao also worked with Professor David De Roure (Oxford e-Research, University of Oxford, and PRiSM Technical Director), Dr Robert Laidlow (University of Oxford and RNCM PRiSM Associate), and saxophonist-researcher David Zucchi (University of Huddersfield) to investigate the development of composing for saxophone using the newly developed PRiSM (musical) gesture recogniser.