Yify Zhang is a “cinematic-electronic singer-songwriter and sound healer”based in Berlin. Gaining music exposure through violin study at the age of five, Zhang never considered a performing career until she sustained a spine injury and began piano music composition. Now, her work is heard in over 90 countries, gathering over 1 million streams! When Zhang isn’t songwriting, she hosts a sound healing project during full and new moons, “where singing bowl sounds are mixed with piano and electronic binaural beats to provide relaxation and transcendental activation for listeners.” She finds the ability to provide healing and comfort for her audiences to be exceptionally rewarding, and strives to take her healing project on a world tour someday! Her advice to young artists? “Even if there is rejection along the way, or feeling like your execution may never reach your vision, you (and your art) will keep getting better… Find artists who not only inspire you, but also give you that feeling of "if they can do it, so can I.” Read on to learn more about Yify Zhang and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Ada Zhang is an opera singer turned stage manager based in NYC. After attending Peking University and majoring in Art History, Zhang attended graduate school at Columbia University, majoring in theatre with an emphasis on stage management. She’s been on the road with the Wicked International Tour, Kinky Boots Asia Tour, Theater in Quarantine, SIX Aragon Tour, and most currently, Mahinerator at the Tank NYC! When she’s not onstage, Zhang is a huge advocate for The Tank NYC, “an off-off Broadway theatre that supports young artists who are in their early career” that curates equity and diversity in the arts industry. Her advice to young artists? “If you are SURE you want to do this, be brave, be resilient, and always be yourself.” Read on to learn more about Ada Zhang and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Mickey Bertelsen is a percussionist and Army Musician based in New Brunswick, NJ – but you might have caught her playing at the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert National Tour or at the New York Giants Drumline. She went on to receive her undergrad at Central Michigan University, Masters at MSU, and Doctorate at Rutgers. Bertelsen loves that music has the capability to heal and and change lives, and that through this profession, she is “afforded many opportunities to travel” doing what she loves. Her advice to young artists? “Be fun to hang around, it's not all business all the time… gigs come by being a dependable person who's fun to work with!” Read on to learn more about Mickey Bertelsen and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Claire Chan is a violinist based in NYC. She also learned to play the viola at a summer music camp run by Joseph Fuchs. During audition preparation for her Master’s, she unknowingly was considered for a regional orchestra and received her first paid gig in New York! After attending The Juilliard School for her Master’s and Doctorate with her teacher, Joseph Fuchs, she went on to collaborate with the Harlem Chamber Players Quartet and play with Broadway’s revival ofSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Chan attended Brown, where she studied pre-med and majored in Neuroscience as an undergraduate, and has experience as a phlebotomist! Her advice to young artists? “Play for as many people as you can; go to them if they can’t come to you.” Read on to learn more about Claire Chan and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Erin Quill is a multidisciplinary artist with a love for shark documentaries. In another life, she might have been a marine biologist, but her path led her towards singing in middle school and pushed her to attend Carnegie Mellon for her BFA. Now, her resume boasts credits such asAvenue Q(original Broadway cast),Flower Drum Song(50th anniversary),Dave(an original musical), Netflix’sSack Lunch Bunchwith John Mulaney, and an episode ofLaw and Order SVU. She’s also contributed to the booksRISE(“a pop-culture history of Asian America from the 90s to now”), andTheatre Blogging: The Emergence of a Critical Culture, written the script for a comic book about the first Puerto Rican, superhero, La Boriqueña (RICANSTRUCTION), andis currently turning her short film,Queen Bessie’s Gal, into a possible feature or series. When she’s not immersed in creation, Quill can be found working with Pan Asian Rep Theater Company in NYC or supporting Broadway Cares/Equity FIghts AIDS and Desert AIDS Project. Her advice to young artists? “If you’re going into the arts, you have to be brave… don’t do it unless you cannot think of how else you are going to maneuver through life.”Read on to learn more about Erin Quill and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Jen Cheng is a multidisciplinary artist with a passion for amplifying underrepresented voices based in West Hollywood. As an avid young reader, Cheng found the magic in reading – using character voices when storytelling to her younger siblings and envisioning how she could write her worlds into existence. Upon acceptance with a full scholarship to a summer journalism program at SF State her senior year of high school, she continued to seek out her voice and perfect her craft. Now, Cheng is about to release a book (Braided Spaces) in October and a single about self-discovery on the way, is in the process of penning both a mystery detective novel and a tween show, and will be developing a documentary project about LGBTQ elders. Her advice to young artists? “You’re still an artist even if you’re not doing it full-time. It’s like growing and watering a plant. Even if it’s not the ideal environment, if you’re keeping it alive and that’s sometimes what we have to do.” Read on to learn more about Jen Cheng and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Kelsey Verzotti is an actress based in Toronto, Ontario. As a child, her parents provided her the opportunity to pursue the Arts through singing, piano, and dance. After entering (and placing in the top 10!) in a televised competition searching for the next Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Wizard of OZ, Verzotti decided to pursue the Arts professionally by studying Musical Theatre Performance at Sheridan College. Her work includes Life After, Anne of Green Gables,The Antipodes, Divine Interventions, and Gaslight) – and currently, Kelly V. Kelly! When she’s not onstage, Verzotti is a huge supporter of the Canadian Green Alliance, an organization that aims to bring sustainability to the arts industry and those that work in it – and dreams of opening her own talent agency one day. Her advice to young artists? “Your uniqueness is your superpower! … All of the quirks that make you YOU will get you so much farther and keep you way happier. Read on to learn more about Kelsey Verzotti and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Isabelle Van Vleet is an actress based in Auburn, ME. After starring in a production ofOliver!as an orphan boy with a solo line at 10 and seeing the national tour ofPhantom of the Operaat 12, Van Vleet knew her future lay with the arts. After attending NYU Tisch School of the Arts, her resume now boasts credits such asFather Figures(Dances With Films Festival, directed by her husband!)Inventing Anna(Netflix),FBI: Most Wanted(CBS)ASAP: Live(Barclay’s Center),SIGN(Off-Broadway),Sherlock Holmes(Portland Stage). Offstage/screen, she’s an avid gardener, calligraphy artist, and baker! Van Vleet is extremely passionate about bringing better representation to the arts – particularly for younger audience members – to prove that a career exists for people that look like them. Her advice to young artists? “Find your community… and find your joys outside of your chosen field… they will keep your cup filled.” Read on to learn more about Isabelle Van Vleet and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Nanrisa Lee is an actor and certified scuba diver with 20 years of bartending experience based in L.A. After a friend convinced her to perform in a scene for a school assembly, she knew she’d found her path. Her resume lists credits such as NBC’s Quantum Leap and Unflinching Triumph, a mockumentary, and teachers Larry Moss and Lesly Kahn. Lee hopes to take up directing in the future, and would tell her past self to wear more sunscreen! Her advice to young artists? “Build a community. Try hard. Trust yourself, and don’t be afraid to fail.” Read on to learn more about Nanrisa Lee and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Qin Sun Stubis is an author and poet based in Bethesda, Maryland. Growing up in a shantytown in Shanghai, she sought refuge in reading to shut out the Great Chinese Famine on the other side of her door. Inspired by the stories her mother passed down, she put pen to paper and was offered a monthly column in theThe Santa Monica Star. Now, her work includes publication inUSAToday,GRAND Magazine,The Other Side Of Hope, a variety of short stories, essays, poems, and traditional Chinese Tall Tales – and most recently, releasedOnce In Our Lives, a historical saga recounting the the lives of “four generations of Chinese women who struggle to survive war, revolution, and the seemingly unshakeable power of an ancient Chinese superstition that affected their lives for nearly 100 years.” – a project 20 years in the making. When she’s not creating, Stubis advocates for her community through organizations such as American Humane, KidsPeace, The National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, WIllow’s Wish, and The United Negro College Fund. Her advice to young artists? “ If you develop your craft and believe in yourself and your passion, you will succeed.” Read on to learn more about Qin Sun Stubis and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Donna Weng Friedman is a multidisciplinary artist based in NYC. Taking her mother’s advice to find a “stable job,” Weng graduated from Princeton and became an assistant agent for ICM before recognizing music as her true passion and pursuing a Masters in Music from Julliard. After a traumatic encounter with racism in March of 2020, she decided to create change herself, and founded Heritage and Harmony to connect the community around her through music and stories Through this organization, Weng established “an educational role model program to help school-age girls of color find their artistic voice” and combined the voices of BIPOC artists to produce an EP (Heritage and Harmony: Silver Linings) during the pandemic to raise funds for an anti-racism foundation. Weng is currently collaborating with Chun Wai Chan on a short film, Never Fade Away, which narrates her immigrant father’s life through dance (starring fellow Amazing Asian in the Arts,Xiaoxiao Cao!). Her advice to young artists? “... Be strong and resilient… Listen to people who you trust, but most of all, listen to your heart.” Read on to learn more about Donna Weng Friedman and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Rachell Ellen Wong is a violinist, pickleball fanatic, and bunny mom based in New York City. She began her musical journey at six on the violin thanks to her father’s influence, and went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin, Indiana University, and the Juilliard School to further her education. Now, Wong has performed with “the Academy of Ancient Music, American Bach Soloists, Jupiter Ensemble, Bach Collegium Japan, Les Arts Florissants,” and more – and is the co-founder of her own ensemble, Twelfth Night! Her advice to young artists? “Make sure you really love your art and that you always have a goal in what you want to do with it.” Read on to learn more about Rachell Ellen Wong and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Jessica Wang is a freelance musician based in NYC. She got her start from her mother at 4 years old with the piano, and picked up the cello at 6. However, music wasn’t always the path she envisioned – Wang also held an interest in psychology and therapy, and recieved her B.A. in Psychology from Harvard before realizing music was her true passion and obtaining her Masters in Music from Julliard. Her work includes playing on “the first North American tour of An American in Paris…Saturday Night Livewith musical guest Shawn Mendes, …Radio City Christmas SpectacularOrchestra… [and the] NYC premiere of the off-Broadway show "Between the Lines.” She also collaborates with her husband for Chips n Cellos (a chiptune music project)! Wang’s advice to young artists? “Work hard, show up prepared and be nice to everyone.” Read on to learn more about Jessica Wang and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Kai An is an actress based in New Jersey. Thanks to extracurricular involvement encouraged by her mother, Chee found a passion for music at every school she attended. In middle and high school, she began picking up theatre – upon graduation, she toured withMiss Saigonas a Kim alternate and was most recently seen inMr. Holland’s Opusat the Ogunquit Playhouse! As a performer, Chee finds it important to prioritize health above all else and to take comfort in knowing her concerns and perceived shortcomings are shared by fellow artists. Her advice to young artists? “There are no rules… be open to working on other things at the same time… and financial stability is nothing to laugh at.” Read on to learn more about Kai An Chee and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Sami Ma is an actress based in NYC and former band nerd. After taking up dance and piano classes at a young age, she auditioned for “a very illegalproduction of Wicked Hairspray” that shaped her career path! Since her days as Tracy Turnblad, Ma is currently in the world premiere of Nativity Variations at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, made her off-Broadway debut in Once Upon A (korean) Time (Ma-Yi Theatre Company), performed regionally in The Chinese Lady, The Great Leap,and Gloria, and starred as Jen in Tender Ears (a film to premiere this October)! Offstage, Ma is a diehard Celtics fan and “self-proclaimed Chinese grandma to all!” in the process of creating a cookbook with her family’s Indian and Cantonese recipes.Her advice for young artists? “Get into the habit of cheering for everyone and remembering that their successes are NOT your failures. There’s room for every single person in this industry and all you have to do is focus on enjoying your own path!” Read on to learn more about Sami Ma and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
