Theater is that collective experience in which participants gather to understand both the richness and injustice of human experience; it is where together, we mourn and celebrate. Chen's work strives to inform and engage, and to bring forth the reinvention of our expectations for our society.

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​Always fascinated by the expressive possibilities of dramatic narratives, Taiwanese-American composer Justine F. Chen draws inspiration from animation, film, television, theater, classical Indian dance and music, ballet, and contemporary dance. Recent works include Shallow Breath and Stealth, a choral work for The Crossing on data-mining (text by Jena Osman), a song cycle with poet Ophelia Hu Kinney for soprano Jennifer Lien, and The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing (librettist David Simpatico) commissioned by American Lyric Theater,  premiered by Chicago Opera Theater in March 2023, and named "Best 2023 World Premiere" by the Chicago Tribune.

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Current projects include a work with playwright Lloyd Suh (THE CHINESE LADY), a satirical dystopian choral project with Andrew Stenson and The Crossing, an Asian female Lear chamber opera with librettist Marcus Yi, and a multidisciplinary work inspired by Twa Sisters and Christina Rosetti's Goblin Market.

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Chen has been commissioned and performed by WQXR, The Crossing, New York City Opera, New York City Ballet, The Juilliard School, JACK Quartet, American Composers Orchestra, New York Festival of Song, Washington Ballet, Long Leaf Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Tapestry Opera, Banff Music Centre, Merola Opera, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.