​​

Picture
Ursula Kwong-Brown  is a composer, multimedia artist and political activist based in New York City and Los Angeles.  Described as “atmospheric and accomplished” by The New York Times, her work has been frequently performed in the United States, Europe, and Asia in diverse venues including Carnegie Hall, le Poisson Rouge, Miller Theatre, the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.  Honors include ASCAP and NACUSA awards, a two-year Berkeley Symphony Composer Fellowship supported by the New Music USA Music Alive program,  a San Francisco Friends of Contemporary Music Commissioning Grant, and being selected as a winner of Call-for-Scores by numerous talented groups around the country. Ursula received her B.A. from Columbia University in 2010, graduating with honors in Music and Biology. In 2018, she received her Ph.D. in Music Composition and New Media from the University of California, Berkeley where her main advisor was Myra Melford. 


The works below are about healing, which seems to be what we all need write now!

"Unwinding" refers to a process in craniosacral therapy in which you unravel deep tensions that have been stored in your muscles and nervous system. Afterwards, you are left feeling light and free.  I have tried to capture aspects of both the accident (nervous, frenetic energy) and the healing afterwards (zen-like, floating, free) in my music. 

Background: In 2013, I had a bike accident in which I landed on my head; it left me with terrible headaches and short-term memory problems. I am very grateful to all of the  wonderful craniosacral therapists, physical therapists, acupuncturists and other healers who have helped me recover. Without them, I do not think that I could be composing today. 
© 2021, Ursula Kwong-Brown