John Aylward
composer

A composer and pianist, John Aylward grew up in the Sonoran Desert, on the border between Arizona and Mexico, as the child of a mother who had immigrated from Germany (herself a refugee from World War II), under extremely unstable circumstances. His music reflects the rich expressions of converging cultural histories and the deeply intertwined communities of that earlier life, all set against the otherworldly landscapes of the desert. After initial studies in piano and composition with Nicholas Zumbro and Pamela Decker, John studied music composition in New England with Martin Boykan and David Rakowski, and wrote a thesis on Elliott Carter’s String Quartet No. 5 with musicologist Eric Chafe, supported by two residential fellowships from the Paul Sacher Stiftung in Basel, Switzerland. Aylward’s recent awards and fellowships have been granted by the John S. Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University, the Koussevitzky Commission of the Congress, the Fromm Foundation, MacDowell, Tanglewood, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.

Yu-Hui Chang
composer

The multi-award-winning composer Yu-Hui Chang creates a wide range of works that resonate deeply with musicians and audiences alike, thanks to her energy, precision, inventive effects, and vibrant colors. Her work transcends cultural and stylistic boundaries, embracing musical diversity and fluidity. Yu-Hui has received numerous awards, including the Arts and Letters Award, the Charles Ives Fellowship, the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and commissions from prestigious institutions such as the Fromm Music Foundation and the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. Her chamber and orchestral compositions have been performed in many countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, and the United States, to unanimous critical acclaim. Originally from Taiwan, she has taught in the composition department at Brandeis University since 2006. Her works have been featured at major contemporary music festivals around the world. She has also served as co-artistic director of the Empyrean Ensemble and the Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble, where she organized more than seventy concerts. In January 2024, her portrait CD "Mind Like Water" was released.

Jingmian Gong
composer

Jingmian Gong is a composer whose works have been performed by renowned ensembles such as the Ensemble Dal Niente, the Lydian String Quartet, Lamnth, and Hub New Music. Her latest composition was premiered by the Ensemble Télémaque. Her recent commissions include works for Collage New Music, as well as collaborations with various performers and ensembles in the Boston music scene. A faculty member at Berklee College of Music, Jingmian is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in composition and music theory at Brandeis University. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and a Master of Fine Arts from Brandeis.

Dylan Needleman
composer

Dylan Needleman is a composer, producer, and programmer from northern New Jersey. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in composition at Boston University and holds a Master of Fine Arts in composition and music theory from Brandeis University. His compositional work spans numerous genres, blending influences as diverse as hardcore punk, American minimalism, and harsh noise. His works have been performed by the Lydian String Quartet, the duo LAMNTH, the TALEA Ensemble, and many others.

Kate Soper
composer

Kate Soper is co-director and performer with Wet Ink, a New York-based ensemble dedicated to exploring adventurous music that transcends aesthetic boundaries. She is a professor of music at Smith College. Described by The New Yorker as “one of the most original figures of her generation,” composer/performer/writer Kate Soper has been creating deeply inspired and distinctive musical theater works for over a decade. A Pulitzer Prize finalist and Rome Prize fellow, she has received awards and fellowships from the Guggenheim and Koussevitzky Foundations and the American Academy of Letters, and has received commissions from the Miller Theatre, Alarm Will Sound, and the New York Philharmonic. Her works include the monodramas “Voices from the Killing Jar” and “IPSA DIXIT,” as well as the operas “Here Be Sirens,” “The Romance of the Rose,” and “The Hunt.” Praised by The New York Times for her “supple voice and captivating presence,” Soper performs frequently as a soprano specializing in contemporary music.