Byron Au Yong, MFA

Byron Au Yong is an Associate Professor and Director of the MFA  and BA in Interdisciplinary Arts in Arts Leadership programs. He previously served as an Associate Professor and Program Director at the University of San Francisco, Adjunct Faculty at Cornish College of the Arts, and Public Programs Manager for the Wing Luke Museum. Au Yong has also led workshops for Asian Musical Voices of America, Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth, Stanford University ITALIC, Strategic Planning Partners, and Taiko Community Alliance.

As a composer, Au Yong incorporates imagination and knowledge to advocate for social change. His music has been featured around the world, including the American Conservatory Theater, Asian Arts Initiative, International Festival of Arts & Ideas, Jeonju Sanjo Festival, Live Arts Miami, Moss Arts Center, and Nashville Opera. Variety magazine describes his work as “intimate and existential, personal and political all at once.”

Honors include a Creative Capital Award, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Building Demand for the Arts Grant, and Sundance Institute Time Warner Foundation Fellowship. Residencies include the A/P/A Institute, Bloedel Reserve, Exploratorium, Livable Futures, Montalvo Arts Center, and Yale Institute for Music Theater. He holds degrees in theater, dance, and music from NYU, UCLA, and the University of Washington.