Among his many roles as a musician, JunYi Chow considers his true calling in life as a music composer. In all his musical writings, he strives to create sparkling points that bring performers and listeners closer together.

About an hour before JunYi was to conduct the The Chinese Music Ensemble of New York at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Hall, we sat down with him in the green room and talked about everything from what he does as a multidisciplinary musician to his musical inspirations and plans for developing his musical career.

JunYi’s involvement in this concert is a great example of his extensive musicianship in multiple facets – as the producer, conductor, composer, arranger, and performer, it’s hard to imagine how many hours of hard work he had put into this concert and how he was able to balance it among commissions for new compositions, and the research required for his newly published book.

Even having achieved much as an award-winning composer and a sought-after living composer, JunYi remains humble. He considers himself at an early stage of his career and believes there’s much more to learn before he can call himself a professional.

His plans now? “Continue to create,” says JunYi. His devotion to music is undeniable.

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