Stephanie Chou

STEPHANIE CHOU is a composer/saxophonist/singer who blends influences from her Chinese heritage with Western jazz and pop to create a bracingly original sound. She’s performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, City Winery, and in festivals across the US and Asia where her music creates immediate cross-cultural connections.  

Comfort Girl, her bold, innovative song-cycle inspired by true stories of Asian women abducted into sexual slavery during WWII, premiered at Joe’s Pub. It is not only a groundbreaking fusion of East-West musical traditions, but has also sparked public dialogue on a formerly taboo subject that still resonates globally for women today. DownBeat called it, “A stunning work that…shines light on a dark chapter of history.”  A studio recording of Comfort Girl will be released in 2024, and it’s in development into an opera with the American Opera Project.

Her quintet combines saxophone and vocals in Mandarin/English with Chinese violin(erhu), viola, and a jazz rhythm section. Chou’s albums include Prime Knot and Asymptote, which focused on jazz reinventions of classic Chinese folk songs.  Her jazz-ballet CforG was commissioned by ABT ballerina Susan Jaffe. She has received commissions/grants from American Composers Forum, Chamber Music America, OPERA America, MAP Fund, Jerome Foundation, and more. http://www.stephaniechoumusic.com/