I make music that tells stories.
I'm a cross-genre composer-storyteller who loves soaring melodies, dream worlds, and stories that challenge our preconceptions about what is true, good, or worth wanting.
My mission is to create magical experiences that spark the kinds of thoughtful, emotional conversations that make us feel alive, that change the course of our lives—and to do so while fully honoring my collaborators as ends in themselves.
I'm inspired by the epic energy of nouveau cirque, the lush soundscapes of classical orchestras, the character-driven storytelling of musical theatre, the immersive power of film & game music, and the authentic heart of indie & nomad folk songs.
The most beautiful thing in the world to me is people who care deeply.
Art that has recently inspired me.
Feel free to say hi if you'd like to talk about it!
- music — la valse, kurios, 調和 oto, before your father hears us, winter, union strike folk song, genius, kara toprak, young and menace, songs of the early morning no.1, son lux, beautiful, dreaming awake
- words — acorn, cosmicomics, sticks, the book of light, the first few pages of pure colour, the giving tree, the merchant and the alchemist's gate, white rabbit red rabbit
- shows — 2008 olympic opening ceremony, downstate, little shop, merrily we roll along, the inheritance, the visitors, wolf play
- films — anima, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, everything everywhere all at once, hero, love me, minari, past lives, spirited away, squid game
- games — monument valley, chrono trigger, florence
Other stuff that probably goes here.
My work has premiered at places like Lincoln Center and The Public Theater, and been supported by folks like the National Music Theater Conference, the National Alliance for Musical Theater, and the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Current & recent projects include Yoko's Husband's Killer's Japanese Wife, Gloria (with Brandy Hoang Collier and Clare Fuyuko Bierman; 5th Avenue Theatre Commission 2021, Civilians R&D 2022, NAMT Grant 2023, Orchard Project 2023, O'Neill NMTC 2023, 5th Avenue Workshop 2023, NAMT Festival 2023, Rhinebeck 2024, MAP Grant 2024), VISARE (with Bierman; New Voices Winner 2021), Starsong (with Andrew Strano; Rattlestick Theater 2021, Sound Bites 2023), [untitled hat project] (with Bierman; NYFA Grant 2021), quartet project (NMTP Commission 2024).
I'm a Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Artist 2024, Vivace Award Winner 2023, Kimmel Harding Nelson Artist 2023, Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriter 2022, and NYU Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing MFA Fellow 2021.
As a conductor, pianist, accordionist, and vocalist, I've performed on national TV for CBS Sunday Morning, on Broadway with Cabaret and Kimberly Akimbo, at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, with Khorikos at National Sawdust and (le) poisson rouge in New York, and for house concerts across the country. I've music directed for new works like Virgin's ship-wide immersive experience Scarlet Night.
The proud daughter of Chinese immigrants, I grew up in Palo Alto, studied computer science and philosophy at Stanford University, organized the Viennese Ball in San Francisco, and built products at Dropbox before deciding to follow the music.
