AMPLIFY! A Festival of Asian American Music, Sound, and Scholarship 2026
Organized by the Music of Asian America Research Center
in partnership with Asian Improv aRts Midwest and Elastic Arts
In-Person Component: Chicago, September 24-26, 2026 (virtual participation TBA)
Virtual Component: Second Wednesdays at 7pm ET starting in July
Call for Proposals | Schedule | Registration | Invited Artists | Presentation Abstracts & Bios
The Music of Asian America Research Center, in partnership with Asian Improv aRts Midwest and Elastic Arts, is pleased to present “AMPLIFY! A Festival of Asian American Music, Sound, and Scholarship 2026.” The festival brings together engaged scholarship and live performance to cultivate a vibrant community of musicians and sustain dialogue across artistic, academic, and public spheres. AMPLIFY! also offers a platform for collaboration, critical inquiry, and creative exchange, centering the rich histories, aesthetics, and politics that define Asian American sound. Together, we aim to elevate marginalized voices, nurture intergenerational mentorship, and build lasting networks that reach beyond the festival. Both participants and audiences will explore pressing questions about cultural memory, migration, solidarity, experimentation, and the evolving landscape of Asian American music-making in Chicago and across the Americas.
The in-person component of the festival will take place from Thursday, September 24 to Saturday, September 26, 2026. We are currently figuring out how we can make the in-person events available to those who cannot join in-person. This virtual component will take place from second Wednesdays of each month starting in July. Sessions will begin at 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT and will last approximately one hour. For more additional, visit https://asianamericanmusic.org/webinars.
The festival will cover topics, but we will emphasize the following:
- Afro-Asian collaborations
- Southeast Asian American music of all genres
- Asian American music in the Midwest
- Community music-making across the Americas
We will introduce the keynote performers over the summer.
The Music of Asian America Research Center will like to thank our generous hosts for the in-person component of the festival. Founded in 1984, Asian Improv aRts Midwest is dedicated to building a vital, self-empowered Asian American Community in the Chicago area by advancing the understanding and profile of Asian American cultures through the traditional and contemporary cultural arts. Elastic Arts is a versatile Chicago venue that seeks to foster artistic exploration by programming and presenting multifaceted performance and exhibition.