Byron Au Yong creates musical events “as exquisite and imaginative as they are unclassifiable.” (Seattle Weekly) As a queer Asian American composer who is the child of Chinese immigrants, Au Yong searches for ways music challenges conventional narratives, connects people with the places they call home, and works to end violence. Examples include Activist Songbook, 53 songs to counteract hate and energize movements (International Festival of Arts & Ideas), The Ones, about coming of age in an age of guns (Asian Arts Initiative), and Stuck Elevator, about a Chinese food delivery man trapped in a Bronx elevator (American Conservatory Theater). Dedicated to education as an anchor for creativity and knowledge, Au Yong focuses on acoustic ecology, deep listening, ethical entrepreneurship, music composition, and social history. He teaches in performing arts and social justice at the University of San Francisco.