Yi-Ning Lo, currently based in Rochester New York, is a composer, pianist, and educator from Taiwan. Described as “intricate and worthwhile” (Robert Avalon International Competition), her music often explores themes of womanhood, dreams, and memory, infusing each work with a strong sense of emotion and storytelling. Her compositions span instrumental, vocal, and electronic music, as well as pop-infused works.

Throughout her artistic journey, Lo has drawn inspiration from a rich tapestry of literature, encompassing Western poems, Taiwanese folk tunes, ancient Chinese poetry, and Japanese haiku. For instance, her chorus work “Seek, Home” (commissioned by the Cornell University Glee Club and Chorus) weaves together contrasting texts in two languages: William Blake’s “Nurse’s Song” and the Taiwanese folk tune “A Bird Cries in Despair,” creating ambiguity and tension surrounding the concept of “home.” 

Her compositions have been featured at festivals and conferences such as Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States, Society of Composers Inc Regional Conference, Click Fest, the Festival of Contemporary Artists in Music, Vision of Sound by Society for New Music, and College Band Directors National Association Eastern Division Conference. She has received awards from numerous competitions, including the Aion Digital Art Prize, the Robert Avalon International Competition, the Classic Pure Vienna International Competition, the Christine Clark/Theodore Front Prize, and International Eduardas Balsys Young Composers Competition. Her works are published by Universal Edition and Theodore Front Music Literature. 

Lo is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Performing Arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Composition from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from National Taiwan Normal University.

 photo by ÜJIN STUDIO