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Composers Now is pleased to announce that Younje Cho is the selected composer for the 2025 residency at the Pocantico Center. Younje was selected through a competitive process in which we solicited nominations through our advisory boards, presenter partners, and other associated artists, and an independent jury made the selection.

We would like to thank our distinguished jurors—Nina C. Young, Leilehua Lanzilotti, and Carman Moore—as well as all the nominators and applicants. The jury also recognized composers Chen-Hui Jen and Oswald Huynh as alternates.

This residency represents a collaboration between Composers Now, the Asian Cultural Council, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which generously sponsors this program. Over a two-week period in November, Younje will collaborate with an artist selected by the Asian Cultural Council—in this case, filmmaker Renu Savan—to develop a new, interdisciplinary project.

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Younje Cho is a composer whose works explore the intersection of sound, sincerity, and the human condition. With roots in both acoustic and electronic mediums, his music often reflects a contemplative attitude toward nature, vulnerability, and authenticity. Rejecting sensationalism, he seeks a quiet intensity in music—one that resonates with those navigating a fragmented world. Having studied in Korea, Austria, and the U.S., he maintains a nuanced, cross-cultural perspective while remaining grounded in deep emotional truth. He is especially drawn to collaborations that value listening, shared process, and mutual transformation. For him, sound is not a means of display, but a space for empathy, subtlety, and presence. Cho believes that in an era of overexposure and self-promotion, true artistic meaning lies in restraint, care, and the courage to remain honest. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in composition at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

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This creative process will culminate in a work-in-progress showing at the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center on Friday, November 14 at 6:30 PM.

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2023 Residents:

Whitney George, composer
Shih-Yang Lee, pianist and composer

2022 Residents:

‍inti figgis-vizueta, composer
Wu Chien-Wei, choreographer, dancer

Selma Savolainen composer
Cheuk Wing Nam, interdisciplinary artist

2021 Residents:

Seong Ae Kim, composer
Andre Veloux, visual artist, lego gender equality, feminist

2018 Residents:

Pascal Le Boeuf, composer, pianist and producer
Chen Yu-An, singer-songwriter and actor.

2017 Residents:

Erica Lindsay, composer, performer, teacher and arranger
Wangjia Zhaxi, dancer, choreographer and educator

Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, composer
Ami Yamasaki, vocalist and cross-media artist

2016 Residents:

Sasha Zamler-Carhart, composer, singer and early music scholar
Thanh Phuong Ngo, choreographer

Tonia Ko, composer
Yasuno Miyauchi, composer

2015 Residents:

Jin Hi Kim, composer and komungo player
Ji Chao, librettist

Peter Van Zandt Lane, composer
Kate Ladenheim, choreographer

2014 Residents:

Mari Kimura, composer, violinist and researcher
Ms. Kimura created the interactive audio/video work Breuer Vivant during her residency.

Aruán Ortiz, composer, pianist and violist

The Asian Cultural Council advances international dialogue, understanding, and respect through cultural exchange activities in Asia and the United States to create a more harmonious and peaceful world. This mission is accomplished through fellowships and other programs that support traditional and innovative approaches to international engagement and creative collaboration, to foster lasting cultural impact, and develop global networks among individual artists, scholars, and arts professionals. To date, ACC has supported over 6,000 exchanges across 26 countries and regions, and 16 artistic disciplines.

Once home to the Rockefeller family, The Pocantico Center's verdant campus in the scenic hills of the Hudson Valley has been host to some of the most influential leaders, thinkers, and creative minds of the last century. A thoughtfully designed and curated retreat just 20 miles north of Manhattan, Pocantico offers guests an immersive experience of unrivaled beauty, with breathtaking gardens and grounds, historic architecture, and a renowned art collection in which to find inspiration and respite. Today, The Pocantico Center is the community-facing extension of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund's philanthropic mission to advance social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Through a robust slate of programming—including conferences for nonprofit and policy leaders, artist residencies, tours, performances and exhibitions, and educational programs for the community—Pocantico continues to bring together people from near and far to learn, share, and imagine a better future. Thought-provoking cultural events offer opportunities for everyone to engage with new ideas and perspectives in The Pocantico Center's unparalleled natural, historic setting. Public events at Pocantico include talks and panels on arts and design, local history, and social issues; visual art exhibitions; intimate work-in-process performances with our Culpeper artists-in-residence; special tours of the estate's gardens, art collections, and architecture; and much more. Our annual Culpeper Performance Series, featuring grantees of the RBF Culpeper Arts & Culture program, takes place from June to September each year. The addition of the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center will accommodate expanded year-round programming and community engagement.