This performance will feature a newly commissioned piece by Jon Jang along with a selection of his previous work. The new composition, titled Talk With My Hands, explores Jang’s musical and personal development during his college years in the 1970s, highlighting the influence that martial arts and Bruce Lee had on him while navigating Oberlin Conservatory as one of its only Asian American students.
The performance is part of a retrospective series of Jang’s life and music that will occur throughout 2026, including the recording and release of a studio album and a digital archive of previously unreleased live recordings.
Program:
Gym Activities from Talk with My Hands (world premiere)
The Ballad or the Bullet?
Jasmine Among the Magnolias (dedicated to Frederick Douglass and Blanche Kelso Bruce)
Eleanor Bumpurs (dedicated to Greg Morozumi)
Butterfly Lovers Song (traditional Chinese, arr. Jang)
Featured Musicians:
Francis Wong (tenor and soprano saxophone)
Erika Oba (piano, flute)
Chris Trinidad (electric bass, synth)
Ryan Ancheta (trumpet) (CMC Alumni)
Kevin Amos (drums, percussion, wok)
Jon Jang (narrator)
Thursday, August at 7pm
CMC Concert Hall
FREE (RSVP here)
About the Shenson Faculty Concert Series
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with inspiring concerts spotlighting CMC talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for CMC faculty music projects to support CMC Faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated beyond the classroom and out in our community.
This year’s presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations, including original compositions, hidden gems, and traditions from around the globe—using music as a tool for exploring culture, identity, history, and artistic experimentation. Collaborators and guest artists also feature fellow CMC faculty and alumni!
Meet this summer’s talented faculty performers:
- June 25 – Marcus Shelby | A Tribute to John Lewis & Modern Jazz Quartet
- July 23 – Omar Ledezma Jr | Azesu: Music of the Americas
- August 6 – Angie Zheng | Text(ures): Music for Viola and Strings
- August 13 – Jon Jang | Jang Journeys: The Music of Jon Jang in the Making of Asian America
About the Performers:
Jon Jang: Music has always been an expression of my determination and identity. My family’s history is rooted in resilience and racism. During the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882-1943), my grandparents and parents faced hardship and fear in San Francisco Chinatown. As the grandson of an undocumented immigrant interrogated on Angel Island Detention Center – a precursor to mass deportation – I have a deep understanding of my artistic roots.
My work celebrates the experiences of Chinese immigrants in California through a cycle of compositions performed by diverse groups, including various jazz ensembles led by myself and poet Genny Lim, Kronos Quartet and the Oakland East Bay Symphony. As a musician and activist, I have also fostered solidarity with marginalized communities. Alongside with Black flutist James Newton, we were the only musicians from the USA who performed at a music festival in South Africa shortly after the election to end apartheid.
Since the 1980s, my artistic practice has included composing works inspired by the “Black Lives Matter” movement. The loss of my father, a corporate executive who died in a plane crash, forced my working-class mother to raise three children alone, leading to her temporary separation from us when she entered a mental institution. It was through music that I found transformation, starting piano at age 19 which led to my graduation from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, international touring, recordings, and recognition. This journey ignited my commitment to interweaving music with social justice as a guiding force in my life. jonjang.com