The Arcane Project
Our mission is to explore the significance of Xuanji Yu's life and her constant pursuit of independence, love, and freedom. We aim to dig out the stories that have been drowned in history and reflect on what can be applied to our modern lives from those stories.
Xinxin Tian
Composer
Xinxin Tian, a Chinese background composer based in New York. She studied musicology and composition at Central conservatory of Music in Beijing, then finished her master degree at Mannes School of Music. Now she is engaging her Professional Studies Degree at Mannes.
Xinxin’s works were committed by Chinese Global Television Network； Mannes Sound Festival; recorded and staged by musicians in advanced level, including violinist Xenia Loh, Chinese Opera singer and composer Qian Yi, mdi Ensemble (Italy), PHASE Ensemble (Austria), Jack Quartet, etc., transcending the exquisite and lush styles from diverse musical contexts.
Clarity Bian
Playwright
Clarity Bian 卞家昊 (she/her/她) is a playwright and poet from China, a writer of solitude and community. She is particularly interested in the ugly, the painful, and the blank. She writes for people who have failed to make it to the bright and happy stories and for things destructed and decayed. She holds an M.F.A. from Columbia University School of the Arts and a B.A. in English from Wesleyan University. Her words can always be found somewhere on the internet and occasionally come alive on stage.
Shiyu Zhuo
Soprano
Soprano Shiyu Zhuo is currently pursuing her Graduate Diploma in Vocal Arts at The Juilliard School under the guidance of Amy Burton. Renowned for her exceptional musical expressiveness and solid technique, she has portrayed roles such as Musetta in La Bohème and Calisto in La Calisto, and performed as Gretel in Hänsel and Gretel at Vienna's Golden Hall. She has also collaborated with the New England Philharmonic in Mozart's Mass in C minor. In the 2024-2025 season, she appeared as the Shepherdess in L'enfant et les sortilèges at Juilliard Opera and understudied Despina in Così fan tutte. For the 2025-2026 season, she was selected for Renate Rohlfing's art song concert and Juilliard415's "Focus on Handel" project. She won first prize at the 2019 Korea-China International Music Competition and advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 Loren L. Zachary National Vocal Competition.
Aidan Yu
Producer
Aidan Yu is an arts administrator and clarinetist studying at Columbia University. Graduated from the University of South Carolina and earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism Management, Aidan hopes to embed arts into tourism experiences and advocate for the cultural core of tourism. Aidan worked at multiple orchestras and music festivals internationally, including China National Symphony Orchestra, South Carolina Philharmonic, Heifetz International Music Festival, and Beijing International Music Festival and Academy. His concert projects include Fairytale & Poem and Nocturnes.