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!
Wen Wu is an artist and musician based in Phoenix. Through her father’s clarinet, she found a love for music and decided to pursue it professionally. After attending Capital Normal University in China, she became an exchange student at Northern State University in South Dakota, transferring to Arizona State University to get her Master’s and Doctorate! Now, Wu plays with the national tour of Anastasia and various Brazilian, Cuban, and jazz groups. Offstage, Wu is a paper artist and practices quilling and sculpture art. Her advice to young actors? “Enjoy it!” Read on to learn more about Wen Wu and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Melissa Li is a musician, writer, and composer based in Montreal. She got her start creating her own scripts as a child before turning to songwriting and short film development in high school! After finding a home with True Colors at The Theatre Offensive in Boston, Li began to craft her very first musical. After a stint as an editor on a (bad) self-help book, wedding videographer, office manager, and director of nutrition, she attended Boston University and got to work onInterstate,MISS STEP, andAgain,and has several TV/Film projects in the making! Li finds in writing that the details – from the way characters stand to how something is placed – can really aid in her storytelling process. Her advice to young artists? “Don't be afraid of your own voice. It's what makes your art special and unique.” Read on to learn more about Melissa Li and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Regina Ting Chen is an actor based in Georgia. She began entertaining at home with talent shows for her grandmother crafted with only history project costumes and poster boards from science fairs. After getting scouted in Texas, she got her start in modeling, which led to theatrical and commercial auditions. As a result, she took up acting classes, and now has booked shows such as Queen of the South and Netflix’s Stranger Things! Offscreen, Chen works with Hope4Tomorrow, a mentorship program that provides foster children with a role model there to guide and listen. When she’s not performing or mentoring, she coaches kickboxing, plays tennis, and enjoys the world of sci-fi. Her advice to young artists? “Find a mentor, join a community, and start making stuff!” Read on to learn more about Regina Ting Chen and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Dorcas Leung is a left-handed actress based in New York City! She got her start singing at church and in choir, but it wasn’t until following a crush led her to audition for her first musical in middle school. Since then, she’s gone on to perform in Broadway’sMiss Saigon(Gigi Van Tranh), Off-Broadway’sMidsummer(Dou Yi in Snow), the first National Tour ofHamilton(Eliza, Angelica, Peggy/Maria), andThe Tale of Despereaux(Despereaux) andLes Misérables(Cosette) regionally. She loves being able to challenge the narrative of what Asian artists “should” be, and hopes to not only continue representing her community in those roles, but to see others do the same. Leung advises young artists to “be curious, have a learning spirit, and truly enjoy [themselves]” – and of course, to have fun!Read on to learn more about Dorcas Leung and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Rebecca Kwan is an actor from Toronto currently on the move from city to city! She got her start writing and performing her own skits at home, but didn’t initially pursue entertainment in school. After her third year studying fashion design at the Toronto Metropolitan University, Kwan took a trip home and realized her true career was in performance. Now in shows likeSkyMed, she’s also begun development for a new film under her own production company, SeeYun Entertainment! Kwan’s advice to young artists? “...Follow the fun. Follow the joy and the process of understanding how much the love for the craft, and what you do needs to be there because of how tough all of this is sometimes.” Read on to learn more about Rebecca Kwan and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Joy Ngiaw is a composer inspired by human connection based in Los Angeles. She began learning classical piano at 6 and found a love for composing after joining her school’s orchestra. After attending Berklee College of Music, she went on to score shows such as Blush (Apple TV+), Rescued by Ruby (Netflix), and Disney Short Circuit S1EP10: Jing Hua (Disney+), with the first season of an upcoming animated television series as her latest project! Ngiaw’s artistic goal is to work on projects that celebrate diversity and showcase the beauty of different cultures. When offstage, she’s a firm believer in self-care and engages in early morning practices such as journaling, meditation, and walks. Her advice to young artists? “Be kind, be curious, and be 100% authentically yourself.” Read on to learn more about Joy Ngiaw and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Rikki Lee is a rock guitarist based in London! With an “unfair advantage” of being born into a musical family, she picked up music at a young age. After graduating from the University of Westminster, she went on to perform on iTV’s Game of Talents, Later with Jools Holland with Priya Ragu, and Hillsong Carols at the Wembley Arena! Now, Lee is currently a permanent touring band member for Priya Ragu and Martin Smith, and a musical content creator on both YouTube and Instagram. Her biggest piece of advice to young artists? “Get used to showing your work to others on social media.” Read on to learn more about Rikki Lee and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Ashley Chiu is an actress based in New York. Her artistic journey began at the age of 7 while watching a production ofThe Sound of Musicin her community. She took up dance classes, which lead to formal theatre training at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she received a BFA in Drama. After performing in Jimmy Kimmel’s 2019 live show, she’s about to make her Broadway debut inOnce Upon a One More Time, a new musical featuring the songs of Britney Spears set to premiere this November! Her goals for future projects? To make representation in mainstream media the norm. Chiu advises young artists to “[be the] bravest, boldest, and best way to make a path for [themselves] as an artist is to be nothing but yourself.” Read on to learn more about Ashley Chiu and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Larissa Lam is “a creative force in music, film and TV” and “a voice that inspires and empowers others” based in Pasadena! She began her journey as the chief financial officer of a record company shortly after graduating with a degree in Business Economics from UCLA, and joined a group with that label (Nitro Praise). Since then, the “Singing CFO” has written music for The Oprah Winfrey Show, released her own albums, sung the national anthem for the Lakers (twice!), given TEDx talks, hosts a podcast (Love, Discovery and Dim Sum) with her husband, Baldwin Chiu,and produced documentaries – the latest beingFar East Deep South, which won her the 2021 Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking! Lam’s advice to young artists is to “commit to being in the Arts and doing the work that needs to be done to be a pro at it… [the Arts] need the same investment in time, gaining skills, and experience as… other professions”.Read on to learn more about Larissa Lam and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Francesca Calo is a performer and voice actress based in NYC! As the child of parents in the film industry, she grew up watching their projects unfold. After her father enrolled her in acting classes at The Academy of Dramatic Arts, Calo developed an interest in the Arts and pursued her craft professionally by studying at the New York Stage and Film/Powerhouse Program, and Moscow Art Theater, later graduating with a BFA from Vassar College. Her work includes starring along Sandra Bullock in Ocean’s 8, Mare of Easttown with Kate Winslet, Cheng Chen in Seven Knights 2, and Pokemon: Sun and Moon! Aside from performing, Calo has studied Tae Kwon Do since kindergarten to become a practicing 2nd Degree Black Belt, loves baking and learning languages (and can speak conversational Spanish and Japanese!) enjoys Wasabi Kit Kats and TTRPG (like Dungeons and Dragons). The 3 takeaways she has for young artists? “ Take classes and learn as much as you can in the fields you are interested in, even if it has nothing to do with the arts. Everyday life feeds into your artistic and creative worlds as well, so the more you explore, the more you live your life. Remember to thank those who helped you, and be kind to everyone on set, in the studio, etc.”
Read on to learn more about Francesca Calo and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Angel Yau is a performer and comedian based in Queens, NY. She started with xanga (an online journal/blog) in high school to provide herself with an outlet for her thoughts, and went on to make a start in her professional career at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in both LA and NYC! Now, Yau’s work has been featured on the BBC (An Asian American Family’s Taboo) and Amazon (Soojung Dreams of Fiji). She can be found on Youtube for her stop-motion film, and onstage with Azn PoP Comedy! Yau’s advice to young artists is to “just do it,” leave second guessing and the desire to reach perfection aside, and to tell their own authentic stories – after all, “the world just needs to hear voices that are not from straight white men!” Read on to learn more about Angel Yau and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
