NYC Southeast Asian Festival 2026

Very grateful for the chance to compose the music for the keynote performance of From Sea to SEA: The NYC Southeast Asian Festival 2026.

This was a really fun project that combined instruments and influences from across Southeast Asia, from the khaen to the đàn bầu to the kubing to gamelan and much more. It was also amazing to get to work with several other talented Southeast Asian artists. @jessicaho.dance performed beautiful choreography that combined movements from across Southeast Asia, which is no easy task. @fayepattatan and @chan_wannapat sang a wonderful duet to close out the score. And @lexyniso provided part of the outfit for @jessicaho.dance. This was truly a collaboration across Southeast Asian artists, and I hope we could capture even a small part of the richness and diversity that is Southeast Asian creativity.

In making this score, I thought closely about what I felt connected Southeast Asia. Two words came to mind: resilience and community. Southeast Asia is a region that has been through much adversity, but across the board our communities continue to find joy in one another and in themselves. To reflect this, the score blends moments of fighting spirit, calmness, and reclaim.

Forever grateful to tell stories shaped by the stories that came before us.