 Few
musicians are as accomplished as Francis Wong, considered
one of "the great saxophonists of his generation"
by the late jazz critic Phil Elwood. A prolific recording
artist, Wong is featured on more than forty titles as a
leader and sideman. For over two decades he has performed
his innovative brand of Asian American jazz/creative music
for audiences in North America, Asia, and Europe with such
with such luminaries as Jon Jang, Tatsu Aoki, Genny Lim,William
Roper, Bobby Bradford, John Tchicai, James Newton, Joseph
Jarman, Don Moye and the late Glenn Horiuchi.
But to simply call the Bay Area native a musician would
be to ignore his pioneering leadership in communities throughout
Northern California. Wong's imaginative career straddles
roles as varied as performing artist, youth mentor, composer,
artistic director, community activist, non-profit organization
manager, consultant, music producer, and academic lecturer.
Key vehicles for his work are Asian Improv aRts, the company
he co-founded with Jon Jang and as a Senior Fellow at the
Wildflowers Institute. In addition, Wong was a California
Arts Council Artist in Residence from 1992 through 1998,
and a Meet The Composer New Resident in 2000-2003. In 2000-2001
he was a Rockefeller Next Generational Leadership Fellow.
He has also been a guest member of the faculty at San Francisco
State University (1996-98) and at University of California
at Santa Cruz (1996-2001).
”I choose for my work to build community and to seek
out how I, as an artist can meet the challenges that our
community faces. In the Asian American community, the biggest
challenge is continuity of culture and the impact of assimilation.
Through music, I envision a way to create continuity through
the integration of tradition and innovation. |
