Petonic is Hayden’s first pentatonic composition, written for flute, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The piece explores an East-meets-West sound world, reflecting Hayden’s cultural roots while blending lyrical textures and rhythmic energy. Its title plays on “pentatonic” — the five-note scale central to many Asian musical traditions — reimagined through a contemporary classical lens.
| Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass
“Velvet” is a jazz-inspired chamber work for violin, viola, and cello, marking another step in Hayden’s evolving exploration of the jazz genre — his personal favorite to compose for.
Pandemonium was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers Program for the Very Young Composers Showcase and marks Hayden’s first work inspired by visual art. The piece draws inspiration from John Martin’s 1841 painting Le Pandemonium, which Hayden encountered at the Louvre during the summer of 2023.
The piece was created as part of Hayden’s work with the New York Philharmonic Very Young Composer Program, where his compositions have been performed at David Geffen Hall and other NY Phil showcases.
“Chloroform” is a jazz-inspired composition for violin, viola, and cello, written during Hayden's sophomore year. Drawing inspiration from accelerated chemistry, the piece transforms molecular interactions into musical dialogue — volatile rhythms, shifting tonalities, and layered textures evoke the reactionary energy of chemical processes.
| Violin, Viola, Cello
“Echoes of the Day” is an original Modal Jazz composition by Hayden Fung, a young composer known for blending classical structure with modern jazz expression.
Scored for soprano, vibraphone, and piano, this work explores the delicate intersection between genres — where the warmth of jazz harmony meets the purity of a classical vocal line. The piece unfolds like a reflection of daylight itself: shimmering, contemplative, and quietly expressive.
| Soprano, Vibraphone, Piano
“Blue Summer” was premiered at the Open House Weekend Celebrations of the new David Geffen Hall, symbolizing for Hayden the return of normalcy and shared music-making after the pandemic — a moment of optimism and reconnection through sound.
🌸 “Cherry Blossom” – Original Composition by Hayden Fung
Cherry Blossom is written for soprano and cello, evoking the quiet beauty and transience of spring. The soprano linegently portrays the softly falling petals of the cherry blossom, while the cello weaves through with graceful, wind-like motion — a musical reflection of the breeze rippling through a tranquil Japanese garden.
🎵 “Solstice” – Original Jazz Composition by Hayden Fung. Solstice marks Hayden’s first venture into jazz composition — a genre which is his favorite to write for. Scored for alto saxophone, piano, bass, and drum set, the piece captures the warm, shifting moods of a changing season — where syncopation, lyricism, and harmonic color meet.
🌿 “Nature’s Voice” is a classical ensemble work for trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, bass, drum set, and rain stick, composed as a reflection on the conflicted return to normality after the pandemic.
The piece expresses the duality of renewal and loss — the joy of human reconnection and social revival contrasted against the quiet retreat of nature, whose brief reprieve during lockdowns was disrupted as the world resumed its pace.
A bold experiment in sound and texture, this piece brings together guitar, saxophone, piano, and drums to explore the art of dissonance — where tension drives motion and contrast becomes beauty.
| Guitar, Saxophone, Piano, Drum Set
🎵 “Why Them” is the 4th in Hayden’s series of narrative compositions at age 11, inspired by a moving video showing children enduring a long, dangerous mountain commute to reach school.
Using two violins, viola, and cello, Hayden contrasts this harsh, relentless journey with the ease of his own daily commute in New York City — exploring themes of privilege, perseverance, and empathy through sound.
Original premier version, performed by musicians of the New York Philharmonic, "Children of Chernobyl" is Hayden’s musical interpretation of an image he created at age 11 to open his school debate on the dangers of nuclear energy.
The piece depicts the haunting contrast between the joy and innocence of children at play and the desolate silence that followed the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Through shifting textures and stark musical contrasts,
Inspired by America’s legacy of the first moon landing in 1969, “Apollo II: The Paradox” reflects both the historical triumph of human achievement and the deep personal grief of astronaut Neil Armstrong, who left on the moon a bracelet belonging to his two-year-old daughter, lost to brain cancer.
There Goes the Rabbit is a fun, animated chamber work inspired by a cartoon scene where Bugs Bunny is chased down a rabbit hole by Daffy Duck. Scored for two violins, viola, cello, and bass, the piece captures the lighthearted energy, quick tempo shifts, and mischievous character of classic animation.
“We Wish to Last Long” was Hayden’s 1st publicly performed work. At age 7, he was honored to have his work premiered at the Celebratory Concert of YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel in Hong Kong, in honor of its Honourable Mention at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.