sisila ila ila: saying goodbye is a musical poem that evokes a deep sense of longing for lost worlds or those currently fading away. The piece follows the reflective journey of an inquisitive viola, whose memories are sparked by the sound of an ice cream truck. As these memories flood back, we hear the forgotten voice of a Taiwanese Saisiyat indigenous singer, a 1960s Taiwanese pop song, moments from a Beethoven quartet rehearsal, and the haunting songs of humpback whales. Her reminiscences come alive through vivid imagery created by the seventh-generation Tung-Hua Shadow Puppet Theater. 

This new work represents a novel form of theater that transports us—both visually and musically—into other realms, as if we are in a dream. It calls upon us to listen to one another, embrace shared experiences of life, and dissolve misconceptions of separateness.

sisila ila ila: saying goodbye was developed at a workshop at the Asia Society Texas Center in 2023. The score was awarded the 2023 Walter Hinrichsen Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and is published by Edition Peters.

「sisila ila ila」為賽夏語，意為「別離」——一段關於記憶與失落的聲音旅程，由此展開。《sisila ila ila: 別離之歌》是一部融合音樂與視覺藝術的詩意作品，透過中提琴手的街頭漫遊與音樂回憶，喚起我們對失去的感懷。她聽見冰淇淋車的旋律，回憶湧現：1960年代的台灣流行歌、被遺忘的賽夏族音樂、座頭鯨的歌聲、以及貝多芬四重奏的練習片段。隨著東華皮影戲團的影像與現場音樂演出，這些回憶逐漸具體而真實。

這是一段用聽與看編織的旅程，在彼此傾聽中，讓我們暫時卸下心牆。

此作品於 2023 年在亞洲協會德州中心工作坊演出，獲得廣大好評，並獲得2023 年美國藝術暨文學學會 Walter Hinrichsen 獎的肯定，其樂譜將由德國知名樂譜出版商 Edition Peters 出版。