Stephanie Chou

She’s performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, City Winery, and in music festivals across North America and Asia where her music creates immediate cross-cultural connections. Her quintet combines saxophone and vocals in Mandarin/English with Chinese violin(erhu), viola, and a jazz rhythm section, amplifying the universal appeal of her music to her ever-expanding fan base.

The Yarbird Suite presentation is a mix of Chinese-influenced jazz and folk songs. The show has vocal music in Mandarin/English and instrumental pieces, including fresh takes on Chinese folk songs and tongue-twisters (from my album Asymptote), excerpts from my song-cycle/jazz-opera Comfort Girl, and other songs exploring math, literature, etc. While there is a strong element of Chinese culture, it is meant to reach all audiences and invite people to experience music as a key unifying force.

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 2025, and it’s been commissioned as an opera by the American Opera Project.

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 and grants from American Composers Forum, Chamber Music America, New York State Council on the Arts, OPERA America, MAP Fund, and more.

It is a stunning work that […] shines light on a dark chapter of history but also feels inspirational for contemporary listeners.” — DownBeat
“One of New York’s most socially relevant and ambitious jazz talents” – New York Music Daily
“A seamless blend of styles…creative and mesmerizing throughout, as it traverses sounds both old and new….Chou’s performance never wavers, and is a delight throughout.” – Broadway World
“Chou’s music is a singular equation fashioned out of an idiosyncratic array of influences…A beguiling body of tunes shaped by her Chinese American heritage and deep engagement with various jazz, folk and pop idioms.” – The Mercury News