Oscar Peterson Jazz Artist-in-Residence, Stephanie Chou
Award winning composer, saxophonist and singer, Stephanie Chou is the second of two musicians featured as part of the Department of Music’s 2024-2025 Oscar Peterson Jazz Artist-in-Residence. Stephanie will be joined by Jeremy Siskind on piano.
The following sessions are free and open to the public.
Tuesday, October 8
9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Meet the Artist
Tribute Communities Recital Hall
FREE
12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Composition
235 Accolade East Building
FREE
Wednesday, October 9
9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Jazz in the Global Context
001 Accolade East Building
FREE
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Stephanie Chou in Concert
with Jeremy Siskind, piano
Tribute Communities Recital Hall
FREE
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Stephanie Chou is a composer, saxophonist, and singer based in New York City. She blends Chinese musical influences with Western jazz and pop to create a unique and vibrant musical world. Stephanie’s music creates immediate cross-cultural connections and focuses on connecting with the audience.
Chou believes in the power of music to create social change. Comfort Girl, her 80-minute song cycle exploring the lives of Chinese “comfort women” abducted into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during WWII, 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 magazine called it, “A stunning work that…shines light on a dark chapter of history.” The work is a tribute to these young women’s incandescent courage and indomitable spirit, not only while in captivity during the War but also—in a cruel irony—when they returned home to their families, who didn’t always welcome them back with open arms. Comfort Girl was commissioned by the American Composers Forum and premiered at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater.
As an educator, Stephanie has presented many clinics and masterclasses on blending culture/music, and on the intersections of math and music. She has also performed as a guest artist for executive education workshops on leadership/jazz with the Columbia University Business School. Stephanie holds a BA in Mathematics from Columbia University. She completed graduate studies in Music Composition at the City College of New York. She studied classical piano for 15 years, started playing saxophone at age 10, and singing at age 24.
The Oscar Peterson Jazz Artist-in-Residence is made possible by a grant from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
