Jean Ahn

composer

Born in Korea, Jean Ahn finished her B.A. and M.M. at Seoul National University and Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. Her creative output includes works ranging from solo instrument to full orchestra, as well as choral, dance and electroacoustic music. Ahn’s music brings Asian traditional elements into western music. Her piano collection, “Folksong Revisited” and voice collection, “K-Folksongs” are ongoing projects that show her vision to introduce Korean songs and techniques to professional performers in the US. She also uses electronics /computer music to extend the boundaries of traditional instruments.

Recent awards include the 2019 Isadora Duncan Award for Saltdoll for Korean Dance and being the finalist for the 2018 Women Composers Commissions by the League of American Orchestras. Ahn’s music was featured at Aspen Music Festival, June in Buffalo, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Etchings Festival, IAWM Beijing Congress, SEAMUS, the Spark Festival, Women Composers Festival at Hartford, New York City Electronic Music Festival, among others. Commissions include works for the SF Choral Artists, Leftcoast Chamber Ensemble, Volti Chamber Choir, Duo Camaraderie, Gayaguem Soloist JUL, Locrian Chamber Players, and the Pianissimo. Her work has been performed by Earplay, Memphis Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, UC Davis Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony, Diablo Symphony, KAMSA Orchestra, Ensemble Sur Plus, pianist Lisa Moore (Bang on a can), Contemporaneous Ensemble, Untwelve, Piano Talk, Enhake, Pakk-Calloway Duo, Muse Trio, Voices Inunditae and others.

Current projects include a commission from SF Bach Choir and another from Ensemble ARI (funded by Intermusic SF) and recording  project, “Jean Ahn’s gayaguem music” with Gayaguem Soloists JUL. She is the music director of CHIM Studio and music director for music AI company Hum-on.com