Birthday gift

"I also have my own band and enjoy pushing boundaries, which is fun and cool."

Her next album, also to be released by Modern Sky, will feature her band, OK Miss, which consists of rock and chamber musicians. The New York Times once described the band as "an indie pop diva with an avant-garde edge".

Born and raised in Shanghai, Du started to play the piano when she was 4 years old.

She studied composition at the middle school affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music-she has been writing music since she was 11.

Du moved to the United States in 1997 to further her study. She graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with a bachelor's degree in composition and received her PhD in music composition from Harvard University.

Du's second opera, Angel's Bone, won a Pulitzer Prize for music in 2017, making her the first Asian woman to receive this award for music. Premiered in New York in 2016, the opera tells the story of two angels who land on Earth. After being discovered by a financially troubled couple, the angels are forced into slavery to make money for them.

In 2019, Du was nominated for a Grammy Award in the best classical composition category with Air Glow, a 15-minute piece for trumpet ensembles, electronics and guitar.

"All the recognition helped me to expand my career and fulfill my dreams. It allowed me to deliver my messages to more audiences," says Du.

In recent years, Du has also been working with folk music and oral traditions. In 2017, she launched the Future Tradition Initiative that collaborates with folk artists around the world.