Agnes Chu
Agnes Chu is an improviser, singer, composer and a pianist who delights in exploring extended techniques, sound and deep listening. Ms. Chu has performed in Taiwan, Italy, England, and the U.S.
March 6, 2024, Ms. Chu is very honored to have UCSB’s Contemporary Music Ensemble performing her piece “One Voice” directed by Professor Jonathan Moerschel. In the summer of 2023, “One Voice” premiered at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, Italy, under the direction of Nicholas Isherwood. “One Voice” had its first virtual premiere by the CalArts Contemporary Vocal Ensemble’s concert Ours in the spring of 2022, conducted by Daniel Newman-Lessler.
In the fields of contemporary music, she has worked with Joëlle Léandre, Nicholas Isherwood, Camille Hoitenga, Abbie Conant, and Dr Beverly Grigsby to name a few. In December of 2023, she performed with Joëlle Léandre & Company Common Ground, presented by Curva Minore (Contemporary Sounds) at the Cantieri culturali alla Zisa, Sala Perriera in Palermo, Italy.
Agnes Chu won the 8th Annual Lunar New Year "Passionate Spirit Award” from Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment and was featured in the International Asian Television News on Channel 18, serving generations of Los Angeles immigrants.
Some of Ms. Chu’s accolades include winning “The Most Innovative Award” with Walt Disney’s English & Print Department, premiering Women Composers in London with the International Women Alliance in Music, in addition to working with Tim Burton and Danny Elfman on Warner Brothers’ Motion Picture Mars Attacks!
Ms. Chu is a certified Harmony Road Music teacher and is a member of the Music Teachers Association of California. She holds a BFA/MFA Music Performance degree from Calarts Herb Alpert School of Music. She now owns Music Lessons with Agnes, serving the musical community in Orange County, California.
Every year Ms. Chu sends students out to Baroque festival, Contemporary festival, Certificate of Merit and Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
Mia Paul
Mia Paul is a Cello Performance major at UCSB, studying with Professor Jennifer Kloetzel. She has been playing cello for 13 years and is involved in solo, chamber, and orchestral music. Notable ensembles Mia has partaken in include the San Louis Obispo Symphony, Santa Barbara Chamber Players, Ensemble Theatre Company Santa Barbara, and the Winter Solstice Chamber Orchestra at the Granada Theatre. In 2023, Mia performed at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, Italy with Joëlle Léandre, Abbie Conant, Daan Vandewalle, and Nicholas Isherwood. Mia had the opportunity to perform in the Intercollegiate Studio Orchestra as part of the Los Angeles Film Conducting Intensive’s The Intensive 2024 workshop at Warner Brothers Studios, working with composers such as Ludwig Göransson, Fil Eisler, Sherri Chung, and Jeff Russo to name a few. In 2019, she received a scholarship to Idyllwild Arts Academy for the Symphony Orchestra Intensive under the direction of Larry Livingston, and performed in the premiere MTAC Honors Convention Orchestra, conducted by John Roscigno. Mia accompanied Wilson Phillips and the Ace Trio in live, on-stage productions in 2019. At UC Santa Barbara, Mia is involved in the UCSB Chamber Ensembles, Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble for Contemporary Music, as well as UCSB’s Production of Mozart’s Magic Flute. Mia has performed for the soundtracks of two short films for UCSB’s Reel Loud Festival: Reminiscence and Fleeting (winner of the Scott Wells’ Golden Reel Award & Audience Choice Award). During the weekends, Mia instructs Santa Barbara youth musicians in the Santa Barbara Symphony’s Youth Camerata and Philharmonia to prepare students for their 2023 holiday concert with Grammy-winners Time for Three.
She has experience with solo performances, chamber music, orchestral music, pit orchestras, voice over work for Cuddle Barn. She now holds a teaching faculty position with the Santa Barbara Youth Orchestra as well as online teaching for Music Lessons with Agnes.
