Fertile Land, Fertile Body by Jen Shyu

CRS invites you to a work-in-progress showing of an excerpt of Jen Shyu’s latest work, Fertile Land, Fertile Body, a multilingual ritual opera comprising ancient and original music, dance, and projection, explores the loss of mother, loss of motherhood, and genocide’s effects on climate change and fertility while sharing stories of struggle and hope from women grappling with infertility. The work will be performed by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/dancer Shyu, plus vocalist-instrumentalists who double as choir, and will use sound and choreographed movements to express how overcoming barrenness in both land and bodies is intertwined.

The performance will take place at Open Arts Studio in D.U.M.B.O. on February 28, 2026 at 8pm, and is part of a new performance series at Open Arts Studio curated by Soomi Kim.

Jen Shyu (voice, gayageum, Taiwanese moon lute, piano, movement)
Layale Chaker (violin, voice, movement)
Alexandria DeWalt (flute, voice, movement)
Melanie Dyer (viola, voice, movement)
Elizabeth Kate (cello, voice, movement)
 Lesley Mok (drums, voice, movement)

TICKETS:
https://events.ticketleap.com/events/open-arts-studio-inc/live-music-jen-shyu

LOCATION:
Open Arts Studio
68 Jay Street, Studio 605A, 6th floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201

The development of Fertile Land, Fertile Body has been made possible, in part, by funds provided by CRS (Center for Remembering & Sharing) crsny.org; Shifting Foundation; and American Academy in Rome.

ABOUT JEN SHYU
Rome Prize, Guggenheim, and USA Fellow, Doris Duke Artist, multilingual multidisciplinary artist Jen Shyu was born in Peoria, Illinois to Taiwanese and East Timorese immigrants. She has produced eight albums and a single available on her record label Autumn Geese Records. She’s performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Theater of Korea, Rubin Museum, was named Downbeat’s 2017 Rising Star Female Vocalist, and is a Fulbright scholar speaking 10 languages. She’s worked with such musical innovators as Sumi Tonooka, Terri Lyne Carrington, Nicole Mitchell, Val Jeanty, Ikue Mori, Zeena Parkins, Linda May Han Oh, Kris Davis, Wadada Leo Smith, Mark Dresser, Francis Wong, Jon Jang, Vijay Iyer, Kenny Barron, Reggie Workman, Bill Frisell, and Immanuel Wilkins. Her “Song of Silver Geese” was among The New York Times’ “Best Albums of 2017.” Her third solo production and album “Zero Grasses: Ritual for the Losses” (commissioned by John Zorn) has received wide critical acclaim, with “When I Have Power” NPR’s “Best Songs of 2021.” She is a Paul Simon Music Fellows Guest Artist, a Steinway Artist and co-founder with Sara Serpa of M³ (Mutual Mentorship for Musicians). @jenshyu, https://www.jenshyu.com