Ge Wang to receive the Champion of the Arts Award

Cantabile's annual award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to the promotion of music in Silicon Valley.

Another member of the Stanford community is the recipient of Cantabile’s Champion of the Arts Award for the second consecutive year. Ge Wang of Stanford’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) and co-founder of Smule, will add this new title to the many awards and accolades he has already received for his innovative work in music through technology.

Ge Wang received his doctorate at Princeton University in computer science in 2008 and was later engaged by CCRMA as an assistant professor. He composes and performs via various electro-acoustic and computer-mediated means exploring new performance paradigms and cutting-edge audio software.

Wang also designed the familiar iPhone and iPad apps Ocarina and Magic Piano. These expressive social musical instruments currently enable over 20 millions users to play and share music with one another around the world. Overall, Ge Wang’s mission is to revolutionize the way people make music and connect through music in their daily lives.

Last year’s Champion of the Arts was Jenny Bilfield of Stanford Live, who succeeded Angela McConnell of Montalvo Arts in receiving this distinction. The yearly award seeks to acknowledge the importance of the arts in Silicon Valley by recognizing an individual who, through his or her professional or philanthropic efforts, has made a significant contribution to the promotion of music.

The Champion of the Arts award ceremony is part of a gala fundraiser at the Stanford Faculty Club on February 9, 2013, hosted by Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley, which provides music education for K-12 students. For tickets and information visit cantabile.org or call 650-424-1410 ext. 3