About this guide
This is a guide to resources for and about AAPI music and musicians found at the Curtis library and on the web. It is a work in progress and is neither comprehensive nor complete. Feel free to contact Associate Librarian Pete Williams (peter.williams@curtis.edu) with questions, comments, and suggestions.
Discover more AAPI composers
In addition to the resources on this site, you can search the sites below to discover repetoire by AAPI Composers.
- Composer Diversity DatabaseCreated by the Institute for Composer Diversity. Offers search facets for gender and sexuality, race/ethnicity, region, genre, medium and location. Try browsing this database and then searching roc.curtis.edu for the composer.
- No Broken LinksThe No Broken Links directories are a starting point for scholars, performers, composers, and teachers to discover minority composers through solo and chamber repertoire for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone, and Horn. The directories focus specifically on the work of women, transgender & gender non-conforming individuals, and/or Black, Indigenous, or persons of color.
- Percussion Repertoire by Asian ComposersA spreadsheet with lots of information, including instrumentation, links to composers' websites, recordings, and more. You can also propose your own additions to the list.
AAPI Arts and Cultural Organizations
- Asian Musical Voices of AmericaBuilding community among Asian Americans in classical music. Events and resources.
- Music of Asian America Research CenterFrom their webpage: "The Music of Asian America Research Center (MAARC) strives to empower our communities through collecting, promoting, and teaching music created by Asian Americans.
We seek to advance knowledge about and social justice for Asian Americans through music." - Wear Yellow ProudlyAn initiative of the Aural Compass Projects. Celebrating and bringing awareness of Asian artists worldwide.
- Asian Americans UnitedPhiladelphia-based organization for promotion of Asian culture
AAPI composers in the Curtis library
A partial list of AAPI composers in the Curtis library collections. Click on the links below to find their works, or try doing an author search of the ROC using "family name, given name" and limiting the search to printed music, Curtis recordings, or sound recordings.
Chen Yi (1953-)
2017-2018 Composer in Residence at Curtis
Recordings in the Curtis catalog
Video of the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble performer Chen Yi's music in 2017
https://conservatory.umkc.edu/profiles/faculty-directory/chen-yi.html
Chia-yu Hsu (1975-)
Graduated from Curtis in 2000, studied with David Loeb
Mohammed Fairouz (1985-)
Curtis alum; studied with Richard Danielpour
Rene Orth (1985-)
Curtis alum; studied with David Ludwig and Richard Danielpour
Composer in Residence, Opera Philadelphia, 2018-present
Viet Cuong (1990-)
Curtis alum; studied with Jennifer Higdon and David Ludwig
Performances of Cuong's music at Curtis
Performance of "Well-groomed" at Curtis with comments by the composer (Curtis login required)
Bright Sheng (1955-)
Recordings in the Curtis library
Watch the Vera Quartet perform Sheng's string quartet no. 4, "Silent Temple" at Curtis on CIMOAR (Curtis login required)
Zhou Tian (1981-)