Dana Wen

Dana Wen is a pianist and arts writer based in Austin, Texas. She enjoys writing about new music and helping audiences discover their favorite living composers.

Annie Gosfield Writes Music for Heavy Machinery, Radio Static, Noisy Trucks — and Also Musicians

The whine of a violin evokes the high-pitched hum of an industrial saw. Drums beat a pounding tattoo, echoing the rumble of massive equipment. Composer Annie Gosfield's "Flying Sparks...

One Ounce Opera’s festival of micro-operas offers fresh musical stories

For Julie Fiore, opera is so much more than hours-long epic tales of centuries past. The Austin-based soprano believes it’s a powerful medium for telling any story. “I think...

A concert of African diaspora composers, from the 18th century to contemporary Puerto Rico

Last year, the Boyd Vance Theatre at the George Washington Carver Museum was so packed that ushers had to cart in extra chairs. The crowd, a sea of diverse...

A Mad Leader Sings — And Shrieks Like a Bird

Most Americans are probably familiar with King George III as a figure from childhood history textbooks. As the ruler of Great Britain during the Revolutionary War, he’s typically portrayed...

Radio Waves: Revel Reformats the Concert Experience

Have you ever gotten swept up in an episode of your favorite podcast or radio show? Maybe you missed your bus stop, or sat in your parked car in...

Body Noises: Austin composers and medical scientists collaborate on “Biosounds” performance

Although the Blanton Museum of Art and Dell Medical School stand only blocks apart, visitors to the University of Texas’s vast campus might be surprised by the collaborative relationship...