KIM, HYUN JEONGThis piece is not intended as program music. The title does not literally represent the piece itself, but rather my thoughts (my "dreams") while I was writing the piece - in short, my vision, hope, and desires - - all the things that I have always dreamed of. In traditional opera, the overture raises the curtain on the action which will follow. It gives the audience a sense of expectancy as well as a hint of how the plot will turn out. Similarly, my "Overture to a Dream" raises the "curtain" of hope that opens on my journey to my life's dreams. I wrote this piece in a free-rondo structure. Then, I let my inner instinct guide me so that musical material comes into play "naturally" rather than following a rigid structural formula. I wanted to follow a flow which keeps coming back to the dynamic theme introduced in the beginning. Its last appearance brings down the curtain. A word that I¬¬ engraved in my mind while I was composing throughout this music was: contrast. The word led me to compose a Western piece that expresses an apparent contrast with an Eastern sensibility that uses thematic material and motive development from Western compositional technique. From the very beginning of this musical journey I have constantly strived towards an ideal orchestral sound using standard orchestral instruments, rather than pursuing distinctive, innovative, or experimental music. In conclusion, I had a wonderful opportunity to transform my Eastern way which emphasizes slow movement, chamber sonorities and absence of beat, with a dynamic Western language which emphasizes rhythm, "strong" sound and complicated texture.DissertationMusic