ABOUT
An artist of singular vision, pianist Jenny Q Chai is widely renowned for her ability toilluminate musical connections throughout the centuries. With radical joie de vivre andrazor-sharp intention, Chai creates layered multimedia programs which explore andunite elements of science, nature, fashion, and art. The New Yorker describes Chai as“a pianist whose dazzling facility is matched by her deep musicality.”
Based in both Shanghai and San Francisco, Chai’s instinctive understanding of newmusic is complemented by a deep grounding in core repertoire, with special affinity forSchumann, Scarlatti, Beethoven, Bach, Debussy, and Ravel. She is a noted interpreterof 20th-century masters Cage, Messiaen, and Ligeti, and her career is threaded throughwith strong relationships and close collaborations with a range of notable contemporarycomposers, including JarosĹ‚aw KapuĹ›ciĹ„ski, Cindy Cox, Andy Akiho, and GyörgyKurtág. With a deft poetic touch, Chai weaves this wide-ranging repertoire into agorgeous and lucid musical tapestry.
Chai is also a vital champion and early tester of the groundbreaking synchronous scorefollowing software program, Antescofo. Developed at IRCAM by scientist Arshia Cont,the software offers a real time computer and animation response to live performanceelements, enabling performers to create multimedia presentations of sophisticated andexpressive fluency. Chai explored and helped hone Antescofo in residence at IRCAMalongside frequent collaborator Jarosław Kapuściński, and has since touredinternationally with the software offering multimedia performances in Shanghai, NewYork, Havana, and elsewhere. In September 2019, Chai gave a TEDx Talk in Shanghaititled When Classical Music Meets Technology.
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