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Wear Yellow Proudly Team
Alice Chung
Hometown: Loma Linda, CA
Identity: Korean-American
Occupation: Opera singer - Mezzo soprano
Favorite Asian movie: Parasite and Whisper of the Heart
Favorite Asian food: Dimsum
Favorite shade of yellow: Gold
Recognized as "a force of nature with a sound both powerful and appealing" by the San Francisco Classical Voice, Alice has been performing on the operatic, concert, and recital stages from coast to coast. Currently residing in Philadelphia, Alice is a current Resident Artist with The Academy of Vocal Arts.
Helen Huang
Hometown: Beijing, China/Richmond, VA
Identity: Chinese
Occupation: Opera Singer - Soprano
Favorite Asian show/movie/anime: 花样年华 (In the Mood for Love), Spirited Away, and 情深深雨蒙蒙 (Romance in the Rain)
Favorite Asian food: hot pot and braised beef noodles
Favorite shade of yellow: Baby chick yellow
Helen Zhibing Huang is a Chinese-born soprano. She holds degrees from the New England Conservatory, Dawn Upshaw’s Bard Vocal Arts Program, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Rochester (B.A. Economics). Other than Nashville Opera, she has also performed with companies such as Portland Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Central City Opera, Ravinia Festival, and White Snake Projects.
Jesse Leong
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Identity: 2nd Generation Chinese-American
Occupation: Conductor, Pianist, Activist
Favorite Asian Movie: Parasite
Favorite Asian food: Hot pot (especially in Rockville, MD)
Favorite shade of yellow: Saffron
Jesse serves as Music Director of the University of Maryland Repertoire Orchestra and Associate Conductor of Des Moines Metro Opera. His upcoming activism projects include the 100% ABV (Amplify Black Voices) and BLMVO (Black Lives Matter Virtual Orchestra). Past engagements include New York City Center, The Glimmerglass Festival, Cincinnati Opera, Queen City Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Dayton Opera, and more.
Michael Lewis
Hometown: Lewisburg, PA
Identity: American
Occupation: Pianist, Composer
Favorite Asian Movie:
Parasite, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and Princess Mononoke
Favorite Asian food: Di san xian and dumplings
Favorite shade of yellow: butterscotch
Michael Lewis is the Founder and Artistic Director of Aural Compass Projects. Michael has worked with companies and institutions across the United States such as Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, Arizona Opera, Portland Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Tri-Cities Opera and more.
Julius Sanchez
Hometown: Makati City/Houston, TX
Identity: Filipino
Occupation: Stage Manager, Photographer, Videographer
Favorite Asian show: Bakit ba ganyan?
Favorite Asian food: Pad See Ew, Lumpia
Favorite shade of yellow: Sunflower yellow
Julius Sanchez is a freelance stage manager, photographer, and videographer based in Houston, Texas. He was born in the Philippines and emigrated with his family when he was eight years old. He has worked at Opera in the Heights, Gulfshore Opera, Opera NEO, Operativo Houston, and the Moores Opera Center and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Music Theory from the University of Houston.
As you may know through personal experience or recent news, since the onset of this pandemic, there has been a devastating upsurge in xenophobia directed towards Asian people. We are in a time with lots of unknowns. People are acting out of fear and are trying to find someone to blame. This phobia comes from a lack of familiarity or understanding of the Asian perspective.
To combat this, Alice Chung, Helen Huang, and Michael Lewis started the initiative “Wear Yellow Proudly” to bring awareness to Asian culture and strengthen the ties within the global community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We will be showcasing curated performances of music and poetry as well as a casual discussion or interview on topics related to Asian culture and craft.
Stay tuned! Be sure to follow Aural Compass Projects on social media to keep up to date with Wear Yellow Proudly and other projects!