about me

I’m a violinist, multi-instrumentalist, composer whose regular stomping grounds include the worlds of music between traditional and new, “high” and “low,” East and West. Over the years in New York City I expanded beyond the confines of my initial classical training – to improvise and compose in multiple styles. Now residing in Kalamazoo, Michigan my explorations continue with solo works incorporating violin with live looping and electronics.

THEATRE AND DANCE

Some of my most recent collaborative work has been performing in and composing for theatre and dance projects based in New York. In 2020, I composed and performed music for the New York premier of Lovesong (Imperfect), written and directed by José Rivera. My work for the plays Miss Julia and Pillowtalk has toured through festivals in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, Europe, and South America. Collaborations with dance companies including Mark Lamb Dance, Kinesis Dance Project, and Chris Ferris largely feature my improvised music with and without electronics.

FREELANCE, BANDS, AND OTHER WILD COLLABORATIONS

While my early training began with Western classical and traditional Chinese music, after my studies at Yale I returned to New York. There, I was part of the lively independent music scene and I recorded and performed with a range of avant-garde jazz, rock, singer-songwriter and alternative hip-hop bands.  Venues included The Stone, Roulette, Issue Project Room, BAM Café. As a hired session musician I recorded for a handful of movie soundtracks and performed at in large ensembles in venues from Carnegie Hall to independent spaces in Brooklyn. I was also for many years a member of Music From China, an ensemble that offers traditional and new music on traditional Chinese instruments, performing on yangqin (Chinese hammer dulcimer).

ALT-CHAMBER AND STRING MUSIC ROOTS

Before the members scattered to three different states, I was violinist for the eclectic string trio Trio Tritticali, which in 2011 released its debut recording “Issue #1,” reviewed by Lucid Culture as “one of the most gripping, intelligent, richly eclectic albums of recent years.” We occasionally fantasize about a reunion tour.

Prior to that, from 1999 to 2009 I was an original member of Invert, a NYC-based string quartet performing original music by its members and unique arrangements of works by other composers. Invert turned the format of the traditional string quartet on its head – featuring two cellists instead of the usual two violins. Our original repertoire ranged from pieces evocative of soundtracks from expressionist cinema to driving melodic works that often feature open sections of improvisation.

These days you can often find me playing with the local jazz manouche-influenced group, The Birdseed Salesmen.

I still love ensemble playing and look forward to more of it.

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