Home » Member Page

Steph Chou

About Me

Stephanie Chou is a composer, saxophonist, singer, and bandleader based in New York City. She blends Chinese musical influences with Western jazz and pop to create a unique and vibrant musical world.

Chou has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, B.B. King's, Joe's Pub, Miller Theater, at music festivals throughout the US. Her music creates immediate cross-cultural connections. Her quintet combines saxophone and vocals in Mandarin/English with Chinese violin(erhu), viola, and a jazz rhythm section.

Her debut album Prime Knot featured trumpeter Marcus Printup (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra). C for G is her ballet commissioned and choreographed by former American Ballet Theatre principal ballerina Susan Jaffe. Her second album, Asymptote, focused on jazz reinventions of classic Chinese folk songs and featured jazz musicians Kenny Wollesen and John Escreet, and erhu virtuoso Andy Lin.

Chou believes in the power of music to create social change. Comfort Girl, her 80-minute song cycle exploring the lives of Asian “comfort women” abducted into sexual slavery during WWII, is not only a groundbreaking fusion of East-West musical traditions, but has also sparked public dialogue on a formerly taboo subject that still resonates globally for women today. DownBeat called it, "A stunning work that…shines light on a dark chapter of history." Comfort Girl was commissioned by the American Composers Forum and premiered at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater. A studio recording will be released in 2024, and it’s been commissioned as an opera by the American Opera Project. She’s received grants and commissions from: Jerome Foundation, American Composers Forum, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, OPERA America, New York State Council on the Arts, MAP Fund, Chamber Music America, and more.

As an educator, Stephanie has presented many clinics/masterclasses on blending culture and music. Stephanie holds a BA in Mathematics from Columbia University. She completed graduate studies in Music Composition at City College of New York.

“[Stephanie Chou's] Chinatown Dreams is a seamless blend of styles...creative and mesmerizing throughout, as it traverses sounds both old and new....Chou’s performance never wavers, and is a delight throughout.” -Broadway World “One of New York’s most socially relevant and ambitious jazz talents”

“A Mighty, Harrowing New Suite...a phanstasmagorical song cycle” - NewYork Music Daily