91̽»¨

Byron Au Yong is a composer and educator whose work investigates the intersection of sound, site, and community. Deeply committed to the transformative power of art, Au Yong treats composition not merely as performance, but as a form of civic inquiry. At the heart of his practice is a fundamental question: How can music foster resonance between people and the places they call home? His transdisciplinary projects frequently bridge the gap between concert halls, cultural institutions, and the natural world.

Au Yong’s creative research has garnered national recognition for its theoretical depth and social urgency. Major works have been produced and presented at venues such as the American Conservatory Theater, the Moss Arts Center, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, and Nashville Opera. Reflecting a rigorous engagement with contemporary issues from Asian American identity to climate justice, his initiatives have been supported by a Creative Capital Award, Sundance Institute Time Warner Foundation Fellowship, and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Building Demand for the Arts Grant.

Synthesizing acoustic tradition with emerging technologies, Au Yong’s practice creates immersive environments that reimagine public spaces. His multimedia installations and site-responsive works such as the media sculpture Piano Concerto–Houston and performance installation Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas employ sound as a tactile medium to interrogate the materiality of memory and location. This dedication to experimental methodologies is evident in his recent exploration of Generative AI in the opera Port City and requiem Forest Aeternam, as well as residencies at the Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU, the Exploratorium, Lucas Artists Residency, and the Yale Institute for Music Theater.

Prior to joining 91̽»¨, Au Yong served as an Associate Professor and Music Program Director at the University of San Francisco and held exhibition development and public programming roles at the Wing Luke Museum.