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
Invited Artists
Thursday Evening Concert
Joyce Kwon
Joyce Kwon is a singer, songwriter & gayageum player making folk music from the future. Her practice has been built on a series of discipleships under culture bearers and supported by the California Arts Council, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, and UC Berkeley. She holds a degree in jazz performance from the Manhattan School of Music.
The SamaSama Project
SamaSama Project is the Midwest’s premier Filipino Folk Fusion band. “SamaSama”, translated as “united, together”, truly lives up to its name, blending Filipino folk, rock, ska, and Latin music inspired by the 1970s Manila Sound movement. Over the years, the talented group has made its mark by showcasing a fusion of Filipino traditional folk and contemporary music at many notable venues and events, including Navy Pier, the Harold Washington Library, the Chicago White Sox, and Davenport’s Piano Bar, among others.
SamaSama Project won 1st runner-up in Best World Music Act by Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2023 and was selected as one of only 20 semi-finalists for Chicago DCASE’s Chicago Made Music Showcase, besting close to 200 artists.
Inspired by the drive to promote diversity and honor the shared history of the two countries they call home through music, SamaSama Project is currently touring “The Great Filipino Songbook”, a collection of songs and stories that shaped the trajectory of Philippine Music during America’s Golden Age of music.
SamaSama Project is set to release their 1st full-length album in 2026.