Chromic Duo

Dorothy Chan
Lucy Yao

"chrysalis" by Chromic Duo

"Pavane" by Maurice Ravel, arr. Chromic Duo

"Urban Driftwood" by Yasmin Williams

"Yeartide" by Samn Johnson

“laika, bluu” by Nyokabi Kariuki

"From Roots We Carry" by Chromic Duo

Chromic Duo is composed of Lucy Yao and Dorothy Chan. Blending toy piano, electronics and multimedia into genre-fluid performances and installations, Chromic Duo cultivates spaces to share stories inspired by Yao and Chan’s experiences as third-culture kids within the Asian-American diaspora. They believe that by slowing down and looking at the smallest objects of the everyday they can uncover truths and reimagine how people connect with each other.  Recent highlights include partnering with Welcome to Chinatown to feature AAPI business owners and artists in an immersive soundwalk in NYC’s Chinatown, and partnering with the National Gallery in Washington DC, the New York Philharmonic’s Education Program, and the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Over the next two seasons, we are honored to be Innovators-in-Residence at Purdue University and collaborate with the PU team to develop and launch the StairWELL project, an interactive sculpture installation that explores the intersection of art, tech, and wellness. We are Chromic Duo: Lucy Yao and Dorothy Chan. We are grand prize-winners at the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) and Concert Artists Guild (CAG).

Trained as a pianist, teacher and composer, Lucy Yao allows music to go anywhere possible that is unexplored. By redefining grief as a source for uncovering and discovery, her work is created with an urgency to preserve memory and to illuminate joys hidden in the sounds of the everyday. Emerging from the esteemed Manhattan School of Music into a pandemic-altered world, Yao co-founded toy piano duo Chromic Duo and developed innovative practices using AR + VR into their performances. chromic duo quickly transcended the traditional boundaries of the concert hall to become an award-winning duo as artists on Concert Artists Guild's roster. Yao is a sought-after Creative Director, Educator, and Performer, dedicated to partnering with organizations committed to equity and amplifying marginalized voices. Her pioneering innovation of traditional artistry with cutting-edge technology has garnered attention and collaborations from Purdue University, the New York Philharmonic, the Smithsonian National Asian Art Museum, and University Settlement to create experiential performances and engagements across the country.

Dorothy Chan is a New York and DC-based (toy) pianist, improviser, sound-maker and educator. A new-music advocate, she enjoys exploring experimental repertoire and new sounds on the piano, prepared piano and toy piano. She is the founding member of toy piano electronic duo Chromic Duo (CAG artists), and chamber collective ensemble mise-en, and has premiered, performed and recorded hundreds of new works. Past appearances include performances at Carnegie Hall (New York, USA), Roulette Intermedium (New York, USA), Bösendorfer Saal (Vienna, Austria), BEXCO (Busan, Korea), Kapellet Produktion (Stockholm, Sweden), and at music festivals such as SXSW (Austin, USA), Moving Sounds Festival (New York, USA), Gaida Festival (Vilnius, Lithuania), and the Arena Festival (Riga, Latvia). Chan values promoting and collaborating with multidisciplinary artists and composers for new projects and premieres, to create programs that are responsive yet intimately reflective. Recent collaborations include installations at the Design Museum of Chicago, FigmentNY on Governor’s Island and Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, with the support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Chamber Music America, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and the Barlow Endowment. Chan has maintained a teaching studio for more than ten years, organizing group classes and recitals along with individual piano instruction. She received degrees from Manhattan School of Music (M.M. Piano Performance), and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.M. Piano Performance with Highest Honors and Bronze Tablet, minor in percussion and business), under the tutelage of the late Zenon Fishbein and Dr. Timothy Ehlen.

This concert is part of Wave Hill's “Roots and Branches” indoor concert series, featuring artists from across musical disciplines, exploring how traditions and heritage inspire musical exploration and growth. Don’t miss the last Armor Hall concert of the season by Telmary!