Sherlyn Chew, Artistic Director, taught Chinese music and opera at Laney College from 1973 to 2017. She also served for 30+ years as a bilingual classroom teacher in the Oakland Unified School District. She holds an MA in Music Education from University of California, Berkeley and studied Chinese opera and folk music in Taiwan. A professional musician, she has performed worldwide. In May 2013 President Obama invited Ms. Chew to the White House to honor her for her work in the Asian community. In October 2015, she gave a presentation on Fostering World Peace through Chinese Music: The Power and Educational Value of Teaching Chinese Music in a Multicultural Setting at the 19th Chinese International Music Educators (CHIME) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The Journal of Literature and Art Studies invited her to submit a full article for publication.

Ms. Chew was born and raised in Oakland, before moving to San Francisco. She attended Lincoln Elementary School in Oakland’s Chinatown neighborhood where she taught for 30 years.