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Jun Yi Chow

Graduate Assistant

Chow, Jun Yi is an award-winning music composer leading in making traditional Asian music a musical language of the world. His works weave elements from folk songs to classical contemporary music, draw inspirations from the past and present to create a sensational experience for the listeners to embrace the rich and well-blended flavors. The Financial Times commented on his music “skilful contrasts in both volume and texture.”

Jun Yi is a leading composer and director for Chinese orchestras internationally. He is regularly commissioned by major music institutions such as Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Singapore Chinese Orchestra for works that tour internationally in Asia, North America, Europe and beyond. Jun Yi had been the Music Director for The Chinese Music Ensemble of New York and held successful concerts in Merkin Concert Hall in New York City featuring American Banjo with Chinese Orchestra.

Jun Yi is composer in residence with Singapore’s TENG Ensemble. His music with TENG is made with Chinese, Malay, Indian traditional instruments and tunes and touched up with electronic sounds. The videos on youtube and facebooks till now have received over one million views worldwide. Their albums Stories from an Island City (2016) and Heirlooms – Reimagining the Sounds of our Chinese Forefathers (2019) were rated #1 most popular World Music category in Apple Music and highly praised by the media.

In 2021, Jun Yi has received an Asian Cultural Council grant to create workshops and an online encyclopedia for music composers worldwide to learn to compose for traditional instruments from East and South Asia. The pilot program started with Chinese Sheng and Japanese Shō, and attracted 200 composers applying to attend the Apr- Aug 2021 workshops from four continents.