The VICO’s repertoire is completely original and Canadian. The ensemble is comprised of musicians from Vancouver and Victoria, all Canadians or landed immigrants from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, playing instruments from cultures spanning the globe. See below for selected audio excerpts; you can also visit the VICO’s YouTube channel for more!

Composer Title, Length, and non-Western Instruments Audio

Mark Armanini Sacred Flowers – (1997, 2001) (16′)
Koto, Shakuhachi, Erhu, Pipa, Yangqin, Ruan
Composer’s Notes
Incense and Flowers – (2002) (20′)
Tabla, Guzheng, Erhu, Yangqin
Composer’s Note
Spirit House -(2007) (20′)
Koni, Danbau, Bass Danbau, Zheng, Ud, Santur, Khane, Bamboo flute, Guanzi, Shakuhachi, World Percussion
Composer’s Notes
Han Yan Xi Shui – (The Lonely Duck Playing in the Winter Pond) (2008) (8′)
Traditional Music Arranged by Mark Armanini & Qiu Xia He
 Zheng (or Pipa), Tabla
Floating on the Sea of Serenity – (1994, 2009) (17′)
Zheng, Erhu, Zhonghu, Sheng, Suona, Oud, Bansuri, Santur
Chidori No Kyoku – (Song of the Plovers) (2010) (10′)
Traditional Japanese piece; newly arranged for intercultural orchestra
Shakuhachi, Koto, Erhu, Zhonghu, Kamanche
Night Bird Singing – (1997, 2011) (25′)
Erhu and western string orchestra

Joel Bons Tour a Tour – (2006) (20′)
Erhu, Zhonghu, Oud, Santur, Sheng, Zheng, Bansuri
Green Dragon – (2012) (12′)
Erhu 1 & 2, Santur, Tar, Zheng, Pipa

Coat Cooke Agua Azul(2007) (9′)
Danbau, Ud, Zheng, World Percussion
Composer’s Notes
Invocation for S’Unduda – (2012) (19′)
Danbau, Dizi, Erhu 1 & 2, Oud/Santur, Zheng, Tar, Pipa

Stephen Chatman The Ruba’iyat  of Omar Khayyam – (2007) (9′)
Dizi/Xiao, Tabla, Darabuka/Hand Percussion, Pipa, Santur/Oud, Tar,       Kamanche, Zheng, Erhu/Gaohu, Erhu/Zhonghu

Joseph “Pepe” Danza The Hermit and the Princess – (1986, 2001) (12′)
Shakuhachi, Koto, Erhu, Yangqin, Ruan, World Percussion
I Saw a Mountain – (2002) (18′)
Bandoneon, Quena, Quenacho, Charango, Latin American and Andean Percussion
Composer’s Notes
King of Wands – (2007) ( 8′)
Santur, Ud

Composer’s Notes
I Dream of Fountains – (2010) (15′)
Zheng, Erhu, Gaohu, Clarinet, Accordion, Chinese Percussion, Pipa, Daruan

Moshe Denburg Ani Ma-amin (I Believe) – (2002) (23′)
Bansuri, Tabla, Darabuka, Udu, Riqq, Pipa, Ruan, Daruan, Oud, Sitar, Zheng, Yangqin, Danbau, Erhu
Composer’s Notes
Rapprochements (Reconciliations) – (2000) (40′)
Erhu, Yangqin, Zheng, Sitar, Tabla, Darabuka, Hurdy Gurdy, Ney, Bansuri, Shakuhachi, Didjeridu, Tin Whistle, Oud, Pipa
Composer’s Notes
The King is Dancing – (1988) (15′)
Tabla, “Indian” (tonic-dominant tuned) Guitars, World Percussion, Tambura
Composer’s Notes

 

Can You Hear My Prayer – (1989, 1988, 2002) (16-20′)
Sitar, “Indian” (tonic-dominant tuned) Guitar, Tabla, Tambura

 

Masala – (1990) (10′)
2 Bansuris, Sitar, “Indian” Guitar, Tambura, Tabla, Mridangam

 

Earthy Airs – (1990) (18′)
Darabuka, Djembe, Mrdangam, Frame Drum, Conga/Tumba,
Marimba/Hand Percussion
El Ginat Egoz (Into the Walnut Garden) -(2006) (7′)
Erhu, Zheng, 2 Uds
Composer’s Notes
Camel Hop at the Caravanserai – (2007, 2010) (9′)
2 Zhengs, Ud, Santur, Djembe or Darabuka
Composer’s Notes
Dreams of the Wanderer – (2008) (26′)
Bansuri (and/or Dizi), Tabla, Darabuka, Udu, Santur, Oud, Sitar, Zheng, Erhu, Tin Whistle, Accordion, Celtic Harp, Iranian Tenor
Camel Hop at the Caravanserai – remix (2009) (10′)
Zheng, Celtic Harp, Ud, Santur, Bansuri, Djembe or Darabuka
The Longing Sky  (2013) (25′)
Sarangi (Indian bowed string), Shakuhachi(Japanese vertical bamboo flute), Tar (Persian fretted lute), Ruan/Daruan (Chinese fretted plucked strings), Santur (Persian hammered dulcimer), Tambura (Indian plucked string drone), Tabla (Indian kettle drums), Gaohu(Chinese bowed string – high), Erhu (Chinese bowed string – mid), Zhonghu (Chinese bowed string – low), Kamanche (Persian bowed string).

Niel Golden Kusumamaya – (Consisting of Flowers) (2003) (15′)
Tabla, Udu, Kartal, Manjira, TamburaComposer’s Notes

George Harrison The Inner Light – (1968) (5′)
arranged by Mark Armanini
tabla, harmonium, sanxian, santur, xiao/dizi, bansuri

Edward Henderson Drowned Out – (2011) (14′)
Tar, Dizi/Xiao, Zheng, Pipa, Erhu, Santur/Oud, Tabla

Grace Lee Dance of Sunrise – the Kayagum Concerto – (2000) (10′)
Kayagum

Larry Nickel Habitaculum – Dwelling Place – (2008) (8′)
Erhu, Pipa, Tabla

John Oliver Eagle Flies to Mountain – (2006) (17′)
Zheng, Erhu, Gaohu, Clarinet, Accordion, Chinese Percussion, Pipa, Daruan
Composer’s Notes
Gypsy Chronicles – (2010) (17′)
Zheng, Erhu, Zheng, Santur, Oud, Frame Drum, Tar, Tabla

Michael O’Neill Luffness – (2000/2005) (15′)
Music by: Michael O’Neill, Boyd Seiichi Grealy, Bonnie Soon, Stuart MacNeill, Jason Overy, Alcvin Ramos
3 Scottish Highland Bagpipes, 3 Japanese Taiko, Shakuhachi/Didjeridu
Composer’s Notes

Farshid Samandari Sinfonia Unifica – (2003) (15′)
Sitar, Tar, Tabla, Darabuka, World Percussion, Kamanche, Shakuhachi
Composer’s Notes
Remover of Difficulties – (2003) (20′)
Kamanche, Erhu, Tabla
Composer’s Notes
Asheghaneh (Monologues Aglow) – (2006) (19′)
Text: the quatrains of Bábá –Táhìr (in the Farsi language)
Erhu, Ud, Santur, Tombak, Daff, Tabla
Composer’s Notes
Prelude: Le Rossignol et la Rose – (The Nightingale and the Rose) (2008) (7′)
Sitar, Erhu, Pipa, Zheng, Tabla
To the clouds a bird – (2010) (15′)
Shakuhachi, Koto, Zheng, Erhu, Dizi, Tar, Oud, Tabla

Ron Samworth Strathcona (a short walk) – (2007) (7′)
Danbau, Zheng, World Percussion
Composer’s Notes

Trichy Sankaran Carnatic Concerto – (1997) (23′)
Mrdangam, Kanjira, Tabla, Various World Drums and Percussion
Catch 21 – (1993) (9′)
Kanjira, Tabla, Various World Drums and Percussion
Jhampalaya – (1996) (12′)
Mrdangam and Piano

Lan Tung Ba Ban Variations – (2009, revised 2010) (10′)
variable intercultural ensemble

Rita Ueda Prayer – (2011) (6′)
Text by Harumi Makino
SATB Choir and Percussion

Neil Weisensel Presence – (2002) (20′)
Ehru, Sitar, Yangqin, Tabla
Composer’s Notes

Elliot Weisgarber Songs of a Thousand Autumns – (2008) (30′)
Arranged for intercultural orchestra by Mark Armanini
Xiao, Pipa, Santur, Oud, Sanxian, Zheng
Yamato No Haru – (2011) (8′)
Arranged for intercultural orchestra by Mark Armanini
Koto, Dizi/Xiao, Sanxian, Celtic Harp, Erhu

Jin Zhang Circling – (2002) (19′)
Erhu, Pipa, Ruan, Zheng, Sitar, Tabla
Composer’s Notes
Green Wind -(2007) (7′)
Danbau, Dulcimer, Zheng, Bawu
Composer’s Notes
Hello Mr. Mount Seymour – (2008) (7′)
Erhu, Pipa, Zheng, Sitar, Tabla, Udu
Qi Dao (The Way Through the Air) – (2010) (15′)
Shakuhachi, Koto, Dizi, Oud, Tar, Pipa, Sanxian, Erhu, Kamanche
Yi Ritual – (2011) (8′)
Erhu, Pipa