Sound/scapes: Theresa Wong

Bay Area composer, cellist, and vocalist Theresa Wong reinterprets artworks in the museum’s collection through the medium of sound in three site-specific performances of newly composed and improvised work.  

In collaboration with performer Kanoko Nishi-Smith, Wong strikes parallels between string and brushwork techniques as seen in Japanese and Chinese paintings in the collection. Inspired by the works of Uragami Gyokudo, Tokuyama Gyokuran, and Chiura Obata, the duo will perform in the second-floor Tateuchi Japanese galleries on bass koto, electric guitar, and cello. 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Theresa Wong is a composer, cellist, and vocalist active at the intersection of improvisation, composition, and the synergy of multiple disciplines. Her works include “As We Breathe,” an installed song commissioned by Long Beach Opera; “She Dances Naked Under Palm Trees,” commissioned by pianist Sarah Cahill; and ”Harbors,” co-composed with Long String Instrument inventor Ellen Fullman and chosen as one of Wire‘s top 50 releases of 2020. Recent commissions include works for San Francisco Girls Chorus, NakedEye Ensemble, and Del Sol String Quartet. Wong has shared her work internationally at venues including Café Oto (London), The Stone (New York), and Centennial Hall (Sydney). 

Kanoko Nishi-Smith is a performer and educator residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. While primarily working within the field of special education, she is active as a performer and improviser on koto, a 13- or 17-string Japanese zither. Nishi-Smith draws from her foundational experience with Western classical and avant-garde music, as well as philosophical and stylistic influences of other art mediums such as literature, dance, and visual art.