Shanghai, China
Composer Rain (Yurui) Hou writes with interiority: which begins at the cellular, and the barely visible. Her sound explores and sometimes dismantles the human body through a micro-organismal lens, tracing back to its barest and most fragile state through its interaction with nature and the physical world. Raised in Shanghai and always in transit between her hometown and the United States, she is particularly drawn to the clashing landscapes and the distance in between. In response, her works often carry this tension of nostalgia, felt in ephemeral soundscapes like the vivid pattering of Shanghai rainstorms, the kaleidoscopic hum of Manhattan jazz clubs, and the sound of foreign vowels drifting across languages. Rain’s music finds its fullest expression through collaboration. A recipient of the Thea Musgrave Commissioning Prize at the Juilliard School, she has worked closely with a variety of world-class ensembles, such as members of the Tak Ensemble, Salastina, Ensemble Dal Niente, and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto. Currently serving as one of the composers in residence for CreArtBox Chamber Music Ensemble's 2025/2026 season, her works have also been recognized by musical institutions and organizations including the ASCAP Foundation, Arizona Flute Society, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, LunART Festival, the International Alliance for Women in Music, among others. While she’s soaking up the intense learning at Columbia University, her go-to activity is spending Saturday nights reading poetry and listening to jazz.