December 7th
3:00PM ET In-Person and Online.
Fayerweather Hall (Room 513), Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York
Please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jen-shyu-projecting-tradition-into-the-future-in-three-solo-works-tickets-740968475657.

We are pleased to welcome Vocalist, Composer, Mulit-Instrumentalist, Dancer, Theater Maker, and Producer Jen Shyu.

Projecting Tradition Into the Future* in Three Solo Works
Jen Shyu will offer an inside look into her process behind research, composition, and improvisation that led to her three of her solo ritual-theater-music works: Solo Rites: Seven Breaths (2014) directed by Garin Nugroho; and Nine Doors (2017) and Zero Grasses: Ritual for the Losses (2019), both directed by Alexandru Mihail. These works were inspired by 20+ years of study of traditional music and dance from five countries, including epic storytelling (Pansori) and East Coast shaman music (DongHaeAhnByeolShinGut) from South Korea; music from East and West Timor; Hengchun Folk Song with moon lute from Taiwan; Ledhekan, which combines Javanese dance with improvisational singing (Sindhenan) from Indonesia; and the “speaking-the-song” or “katari” with Japanese biwa, the rare 4-stringed instrument originally used by monks and priests. She will also talk about her work with Sara Serpa with whom she co-founded Mutual Mentorship for Musicians. *Title inspired by Val Jeanty.

Jen Shyu
Guggenheim Fellow, USA Fellow, Doris Duke Artist, multilingual multidisciplinary artist Jen Shyu is “one of the most creative vocalists in contemporary improvised music” (The Nation). Born in Peoria, Illinois to Taiwanese and East Timorese immigrants, she’s produced eight albums available on her record label Autumn Geese Records on Bandcamp. She’s performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Theater of Korea, Rubin Museum, was named Downbeat’s 2017 Rising Star Female Vocalist, and is a Fulbright scholar speaking 10 languages. She’s worked with such musical innovators as Sumi Tonooka, Terri Lyne Carrington, Nicole Mitchell, Val Jeanty, Ikue Mori, Linda May Han Oh, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Mark Dresser, Francis Wong, Jon Jang, Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Kenny Barron, Reggie Workman, Bill Frisell, and Immanuel Wilkins. Her  Song of Silver Geese was among The New York Times’ “Best Albums of 2017.” She’s currently touring her third solo production Zero Grasses: Ritual for the Losses (commissioned by John Zorn) across all 50 states and has received wide critical acclaim for her latest album of the same name, with “When I Have Power” NPR’s “Best Songs of 2021.” She is a Paul Simon Music Fellows Guest Artist, a Steinway Artist and co-founder with Sara Serpa of M³ (Mutual Mentorship for Musicians).