Jen Shyu

Jen Shyu (Chinese: 徐秋雁; pinyin: Xúqiūyàn; born March 28, 1978) is an American experimental jazz vocalist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, and producer.[1][2][3]

Jen Shyu
徐秋雁
Performing world premiere of Song of Silver Geese at Roulette. March 2016
Performing world premiere of Song of Silver Geese at Roulette. March 2016
Background information
Born (1978-03-28) March 28, 1978
Peoria, Illinois
Years active2001–present
LabelsPi Recordings
Websitewww.jenshyu.com

Early life and education

Shyu was born on March 28, 1978, in Peoria, Illinois, the child of Taiwanese and East Timorese immigrants.[1] She was classically trained in piano, violin, and ballet, and performed with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra at the age of 13.[3] Shyu studied theater and opera at Stanford University.[2]

Musical career

Shyu's seven albums as leader or co-leader include 2011's Synastry, the first woman-led record released by Pi Recordings, and Sounds and Cries of the World (Pi 2015), reviewed favorably by The New York Times[4] and The Wall Street Journal[5] and included in annual best-of lists in both The New York Times[6] and The Nation.[7] The latter album featured Shyu's band Jade Tongue, comprising trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, violist Mat Maneri, bassist Thomas Morgan, and drummer Dan Weiss.

Shyu appears on several records released by saxophonist and MacArthur Genius Fellow Steve Coleman and Five Elements. Other collaborators include Anthony Braxton, Mark Dresser, Bobby Previte, Chris Potter, Michael Formanek, and David Binney. Shyu has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rubin Museum of Art, Ringling International Arts Festival, Asia Society, Roulette, Blue Note Jazz Club, Bimhuis, Salihara Theater, National Gugak Center, and the National Theater of Korea.

Shyu studied traditional music and dance in Cuba, Taiwan, Brazil, China, South Korea, and East Timor.[1] In 2013, Shyu was awarded an Asian Cultural Council Fellowship to conduct music research in Indonesia; this work culminated in 2014's Solo Rites: Seven Breaths, directed by Garin Nugroho.[8] In March 2016, Shyu premiered the multilingual music drama Song of Silver Geese.[9] A duo with MacArthur Genius Fellow Tyshawn Sorey was included in The New York Times as one of the "Best Live Jazz Performances of 2017".[10]

Recognition

Shyu has been a recipient of multiple Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards[11] and Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Awards. Commissions have come from the MAP Fund, Jerome Foundation, Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works,[12] and New Music USA, and Shyu has received fellowships from the Asian Cultural Council,[13] Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In 2019, she was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for Music Composition.[14]

Discography
  • For Now (2002)
  • Jade Tongue (2008)
  • Synastry (2011) with Mark Dresser
  • Sounds and Cries of the World (2015) with Jade Tongue (Ambrose Akinmusire, Mat Maneri, Thomas Morgan, Dan Weiss)
  • Song of Silver Geese (2017)

Appearances
  • Soko Arts Festival 2001 (2001)
  • Lewis Jordan Quartet – More Travels of a Zen Baptist (2002)
  • Doug Yokoyama Quartet – Thanks for Stopping By (2002)
  • Steve Coleman and Five Elements – Lucidarium (2005)
  • Steve Coleman and Five Elements – Weaving Symbolics (2006)
  • Miles Okazaki – Generations (2009)
  • Positive Catastrophe – Garabatos Volume One (2009)
  • Steve Coleman and Five Elements – Harvesting Semblances and Affinities (2010)
  • Steve Coleman and Five Elements - The Mancy of Sound (2011)
  • Aya Nishina – Flora (2013)
  • Dan Weiss – Sixteen: Drummers Suite (2016)

References
  1. Wang, Frances Kai-Hwa (6 January 2017). "'A Spiritual Act': How Multilingual Jazz Artist Jen Shyu Found Safety on Stage". NBC. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  2. West, Michael J. (25 June 2021). "Jen Shyu Blends Just About Everything with Zero Grasses". JazzTimes. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. "Jen Shyu". Kennedy Center. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. Ratliff, Ben (16 September 2015). "Through Music, Jen Shyu Explores the Unknown, Including Herself". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  5. Blumenfeld, Larry (26 October 2015). ""Sounds and Cries of the World" by Jen Shyu Review". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  6. Pareles, Jon; Ratliff, Ben; Caramanica, Jon; Chinen, Nate (9 December 2015). "Best Albums of 2015". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  7. Hajdu, David (17 December 2015). "Forget What You've Heard: These Were the Ten Best Albums of 2015". The Nation. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  8. "Solo Rites: Seven Breaths". Asian Cultural Council. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  9. Ratliff, Ben (23 March 2016). "Jen Shyu Presents Song of Silver Geese at Roulette". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  10. Russonello, Giovanni (13 December 2017). "The Best Live Jazz Performances of 2017". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  11. "Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards". ddpaa.org. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  12. "CHAMBER MUSIC AMERICA ANNOUNCES $475,000 IN GRANTS FOR COMMISSIONS | Chamber Music America".
  13. "Our Grantees". www.asianculturalcouncil.org. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  14. "Jen Shyu". John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
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