Jon Jang

Composer Jon Jang became the first American born Chinese to compose a symphonic work that honors Chinese American history. Commissioned by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra and Oakland East Bay Symphony, Jon Jang composed The Chinese American Symphony (2007) for erhu virtuoso Jiebing Chen and orchestra which pays tribute to the 12,000 Chinese immigrant laborers who built the first transcontinental railroad in United States

Jang’s other works include CAGES: A Way to Interrogate History in collaboration with poet Paul Flores (2022); Can’t Stop Cryin’ for America: Black Lives Matter! in collaboration with poet Amanda Kemp (2017); Suite for Min Xiao Fen (2017) in collaboration with pipa virtuoso and singer Min Xiao Fen; When Sorrow Turns to Joy – Songlines: The Spiritual Tributary of Paul Robeson and Mei Lanfang (2000) co-composed with James Newton; Island: The Immigrant Suite No. 1 (1995) in collaboration with poet Genny Lim; Island: The Immigrant Suite No. 2 (1995) for the Kronos Quartet and Cantonese Opera singer; score for the dramatic adaptation of Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior (1994); Tiananmen! (1992), Reparations Now! Concerto for Jazz Ensemble and Taiko (1988).

Pianist/composer Jon Jang has toured and recorded with Max Roach, James Newton, and David Murray. His ensembles have toured at major concert halls and music festivals in Europe, China, Canada, United States and South Africa, four months after the election to end apartheid in April 1994. During 1999-2001, Jang toured with Max Roach as part of the Beijing Trio in Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Zurich, Berlin, Milan, and the Royal Festival Hall in London.