NORTHAMPTON, MA – The Smith College Department of Music presents Stephanie Chou performing her work Comfort Girl, an 80-minute song-cycle exploring the lives of thousands of Chinese women who were abducted by the Japanese army during WWII on Sunday, September 22 at 3 p.m. in Sweeney Concert Hall. The groundbreaking jazz-opera fuses East and West musical traditions to explore a formerly taboo subject that still resonates globally for women today. The concert features the Stephanie Chou Band and is free and open to the public. Commissioned by the American Composers Forum, Comfort Girl highlights an often-overlooked, dark chapter in history that is still relevant, as survivors seek justice and trafficking remains a global issue. This jazz-influenced song-cycle combines historical drama with the energy of improvised jazz featuring two voices, narrator, Chinese erhu, strings, saxophone, and rhythm section. New York Music Daily called Comfort Girl “A mighty, harrowing new Suite….a phantasmagorical song cycle.”
Comfort Girl, in its song cycle form, received its World Premiere at Joe’s Pub at the Public (NYC) on March 29, 2019. A studio recording of the song cycle will be released in 2024. A new chamber opera expanded version, Jade Star Hotel, is currently in development with The American Opera Project. Chou learned about the euphemistically named “Comfort Women” as an adult and was stunned by the lack of awareness around the history. Comfort Girl was inspired by the true stories survivors have told.
Stephanie Chou is a composer, saxophonist, and singer based in New York City. She blends Chinese musical influences with Western jazz and pop to create a unique and vibrant musical world. Stephanie’s music creates immediate cross-cultural connections and focuses on connecting with the audience. Her debut album, Prime Knot, was an instrumental jazz sextet album featuring trumpeter Marcus Printup (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra). Her ballet work C for G was commissioned and choreographed by former American Ballet Theatre principal ballerina/current artistic director Susan Jaffe, and premiered at Goucher College. Stephanie holds a B.A. in mathematics from Columbia University. She completed graduate studies in music composition at the City College of New York.
Stephanie Chou will be in residency at Smith College over the weekend, presenting a workshop for students on Saturday with the performance of Comfort Girl on Sunday afternoon. DownBeat Magazine called it “a stunning work that not only shines light on a dark chapter of history but also feels inspirational for contemporary listeners.” The performance is sponsored in part by the Smith College Lecture Fund and is free and open to the public with no reservations required.
