Sandra Tavali Wuan-chin Li : A Musical Explorer Weaving Between Rational Technology and Sensual Sound

As an experimental music composer, AI art researcher, and a member of the Siraya indigenous people of Taiwan, Wuan-Ching Lee's musical journey began with a deep-rooted classical foundation. Taught by her father, Professor Mao-Sung Lee, from a young age, she graduated from Soochow University and Tainan University of Technology’s music departments. She then furthered her studies at the prestigious Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in the United States, earning a Master's degree in Computer Music, where her thesis was recognized and selected for presentation at the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC). Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at National Taiwan University of Arts, focusing her research on AI art, cultural policy, and the public nature of performance venues.
 

Her creative spectrum is exceptionally broad, spanning classical, experimental electronic, and even heavy metal. She was the keyboardist for the renowned metal bands Chthonic and Zhi, and her musical style is characterized by cool, sharp electronic timbres that reflect deep contemplation on the human condition. This unique artistic language has made her a sought-after collaborator for interdisciplinary projects, leading to long-term partnerships with institutions like Body Phase Studio and Discovery Channel, and serving as the sound designer and composer for numerous theatre and film productions.
 

Since her 2009 experimental musical Dark Baroque, Lee has relentlessly pushed the boundaries of performance. In recent years, she has dedicated her passion to the pioneering and education of AI music. Beyond her university teaching positions, she has led workshops across Taiwan, guiding countless young creators and art enthusiasts to explore the infinite possibilities where technology and art intersect using generative tools.
 

Her works have gained significant attention on the international stage, with pieces like "Ban-Sin" and "River" being featured at prestigious platforms such as the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (NYCEMF) and ICMC. New York critic Jean Ballard Terepka once described her music as follows: "An impression of combined dancerly delicacy and cosmic largeness emerges…" Wuan-Ching Lee's creations are more than sonic experiments; they are resonant reflections on our times, technology, and the human psyche.

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Wuan-Ching Lee

Experimental Music Composer, AI Art Researcher

A musician of the Siraya indigenous people of Taiwan, her compositions span from classical and experimental electronic to heavy metal, using cool electronic timbres to reflect the depths of the human condition. In recent years, she has focused on the research, creation, and teaching of generative AI art, exploring the symbiotic relationship between technology and art.

Education and Research

• PhD Student | Graduate Institute of Arts Management and Cultural Policy, National Taiwan University of Arts

  • Research Areas: AI Art and Cultural Policy, The Publicness of Performance Venues

• Master of Music, Computer Music | Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

  • Studied under Dr. Geoffrey Wright. Thesis was selected for presentation at the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC).

• Bachelor of Music | Soochow University; Tainan University of Technology

  • Studied with professors including Mao-Sung Lee, Charles Covington, Yun-Peng Sung, Run-Ai Lee, Ming-Chung Hsu, and Yen-Chung Huang.
     

Teaching and Outreach

Long dedicated to the promotion and education of avant-garde music, she has held teaching positions at National Tsing Hua University and Fu Jen Catholic University. Her recent focus is on AI art, leading a series of "Computer Music" and "AI Music" workshops at universities, cultural centers, and local venues across Taiwan to cultivate young creators and empower the public to expand their creative boundaries with generative tools.

Interdisciplinary Collaborations and Performances

She has extensive experience collaborating with local and international artists and institutions as a music designer, composer, and sound designer. Key partners include Body Phase Studio, GIS Group, Discovery Channel, and Star Theater, as well as artists such as Li-Chun Yao, Ying-Liang Lu, Chun-Hui Wu, Ming-Hsiu Chen, Wei Chen, Shou-Yao Liu, and Sau-Yi Au (Malaysia).
 

Selected Interdisciplinary Productions:
 

• Music Director | Sing it! Sing it!, Star Theater (2023–Present)

• Music Design | Oh! Baby!, Seoul & Taipei (2025)

• Composer | Experimental e-musical May, recipient of a grant from the National Culture and Arts Foundation (2022)

• Curator | "Handmade: Baltimore-Seoul-Taipei" Tri-City Concert (2014)

• Live Performance | Experimental film Orgasm Bath Madness, with Korean artist Haeng-Jun Lee (2012)

• Composer | Experimental musical Dark Baroque, Guling Street Avant-Garde Theatre Festival (2009)

Band Experience:

• Former keyboardist for the crossover vocal group Indulge and metal bands Chthonic and Zhi.

• Toured with the band Pangu in Taiwan (2008).
   

Selected Works and International Presentations

• 〈Ban-Sin〉: Presented at numerous international conferences and festivals, including ISMIR (Taiwan, 2014), SMC (Ireland, 2015), klingt gut! (Germany, 2016), NYCEMF (USA, 2017), Taoyuan Arts and Tech Festival (2018), and ICMC (S. Korea, 2018).

  • Praised by New York critic Jean Ballard Terepka: “An impression of combined dancerly delicacy and cosmic largeness emerges…”

• 〈Zhi Zhi〉: ICMC (S. Korea, 2023)

• 〈Autumn Duo〉: NYCEMF (USA, 2018)

• 〈Bamboo Dancing in the Wind〉: A 2017 collaboration with soundscape artist Chin-Hui Fan, blending the sound of Miaoli’s bamboo forests with experimental electronics and live piano.

• 〈The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth〉: WOCMAT–IRCAM (Taiwan, 2016)

• 〈River〉: ISMIR (Spain, 2015); New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival × New York Philharmonic Biennial (2016)

• 〈Dirge〉: ICMC (USA, 2015)