Huang Ruo
Awarded First Prize by the prestigious Luxembourg International Composition Prize, Huang Ruo has been cited by The New Yorker as “one of the most intriguing of the new crop of Asian-American composers” and "one of the world's leading young composers."  His vibrant and inventive musical voice draws equal inspiration from Chinese folk, Western avant-garde, rock and jazz to create a seamless, organic integration using a compositional technique he calls “dimensionalism.” Ruo’s writing spans from orchestra, chamber music, opera, theater and modern dance to sound installation, multi-media, experimental improvisation, folk rock and film. His work has been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Opera Hong Kong, New York City Opera, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Asko Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, Ensemble Integrals, Quatuor Diotima, Ethel Quartet, and Tang Quartet, and under conductors including Wolfgang Sawallisch, Marin Alsop, James Conlon, Dennis Russell Davies, Ed Spanjaard, Xian Zhang and Ilan Volkov. Ruo's new opera, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, will be given its American premiere at The Santa Fe Opera in 2014. His upcoming commissions include a chamber opera for Houston Grand Opera and an orchestral work for the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Ruo has received awards and grants from the ASCAP Foundation, Presser Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Argosy Foundation, Greenwall Foundation, Meet The Composer, NYSCA, Chamber Music America, American Music Center, Aaron Copland Award and Alice M. Ditson Award.  New York Times critic Allan Kozinn listed his concert as the second on the list of his “Top Ten Classical Moments of 2003.” Ruo’s Chamber Concerto Cycle was released on Naxos in February 2007; Leaving Sao, a work for orchestra and Chinese folk voice, was released on Albany Records with his own singing in 2008; and Divergence came out on Koch International in 2009. Ruo's latest CD, To The Four Corners, performed by Future In REverse, was recently released on Naxos Records. Ruo is currently a member of the composition faculty at SUNY Purchase. For more information about Huang Ruo and his music, please visit http://www.huangruo.com.

Huang Ruo

Fang-Tao Jiang
Since soprano Fang Tao Jiang’s solo debut in Rutter’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall, her career has found a home both on opera and concert stages. Recent career credits include solo and operatic roles with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Utah Festival Opera, Rome Opera and Carnegie Hall Music Explorer Concerts, among others. Her critically acclaimed contributions to new music include the leading role Song Ching-Ling in composer Huang Ruo’s opera Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in concert. The New York Times heralded her performance as “strong” and praised her “ably brought out the drama and intensity...” Jiang is frequently featured on WQXR, WNYC, CCBC and Xinhua News.  http://www.fangtaojiang.com

Steven Graff
Since his concerto debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with whom he has appeared nine times, the American pianist Steven Graff has been the recipient of numerous distinguished awards and glowing critical praise. Graff has performed at the Weill, Zankel and Stern Auditoriums at Carnegie Hall; Merkin and Alice Tully Halls in New York City; and his performances have been broadcast on New York radio stations WQXR and WNCN, and Chicago's WFMT. He has toured Norway, Japan, Italy, Israel and in cities across the U.S. Graff currently serves on the faculty at New York's Hunter College and at The Macaulay Honors College. Graff is a Steinway Artist.