E.J. Antonio is a poet and singer. She is the author of two chapbooks, Every Child Knows, (Premier Poets Chapbook Series 2007) and Solstice, (Red Glass Books, 2013), and a CD, Rituals in the marrow: Recipe for a jam session which features major jazz artists such as Christian McBride. Her work has been published widely in African Voices Literary Magazine; Terra Incognita; Black Renaissance Noire; Mobius: The Poetry Magazine; The Mom Egg; and One Word/Many Voices and two Cave Canem anthologies. She is a founding member of the Jazz & Poetry Choir Collective. www.ejantoniobluez.net

Jason Kao Hwang is a significant figure as composer violinist and violist known as an important improviser and conductor. In 2015 his octet Burning Bridge performed at the International Festival Musique Actuelle (Canada), quintet Sing House performed at the Vision Festival and his symphony, The Challenge: Tiananmen Square, premiered at Lehman College. His recording, East Village will be released this fall. In 2012 the Downbeat voted him “Rising Star for Violin.”

Nicole Peyrafitte is a pluridisciplinary artist born and raised in the Gascony part of the Pyrenees & residing in Brooklyn. Her texts, voice-work, paintings, videos, & cooking are displayed in a range of multi-lingual & multi-faceted performances. Peyrafitte’s work is informed & characterized by a daily practice — a quest for life in art and art in life between two continents & four languages. Her latest projects are: Things Fall Where They Lie a film docu-vérité in preproduction; LandscOpe a collection of texts & photographs— publication 2016; Talvera: An Anthology of Occitan Literature from the troubadours to today, co-edited with Pierre Joris.