Talking Taiwan 2026 Fundraising Gala REPLAY VIDEO

Did you miss out on Talking Taiwan’s Second Annual Fundraising Gala?

We've captured the event on video so that we can still share it with you! It was a high energy night of music in keeping with our theme Celebrating Taiwanese Women in Music.

Get Access to the REPLAY VIDEO of Talking Taiwan's 2026 Gala by making a contribution of $50 or more to support Talking Taiwan's work.

**PLEASE NOTE** The video is currently in the works and will be available June 15th.

What's in the REPLAY VIDEO

You'll experience the musical talents of our featured musicians: Zen Micheline Hung (Piano Prodigy, Composer, and Animal Activist), Paige Su (Harpist, Singer & Composer), and Wen-Ting Wu (Drummer & Percussionist). 

Get to know Zen, Paige and Wen-Ting as Talking Taiwan's Host, Felicia Lin interviews them at the gala.

AND MORE...

Below are all the details of what happened the Talking Taiwan 2026 Fundraising Gala on May 1st, which was organized by the award-winning team of the Talking Taiwan podcast, Felicia Lin and Kaju Roberto,

Our emcee for this year's Talking Taiwan Gala is Vickie Wang!

Vickie Wang (王宇平) is a Taiwanese bilingual writer, interpreter, and stand-up comedian based in New York City- fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English. She founded Happy Medium Studio, which offers bilingual (Mandarin and English) communications strategy, research, and translation services. Born and raised in Taiwan and formerly based in Shanghai, she brings fifteen years of Mandarin-English interpreting experience to settings ranging from congressional hearings to cultural panel discussions. Her writing has been published twice in The New York Times and TaiwaneseAmerican.org, and her comedy has been featured on NPR and The New Yorker. Prior to New York, she held senior roles at Disney, LEGO, and Gensler, and holds an MA in Conference Interpreting from National Taiwan Normal University. Her monthly stand-up show Wang's World Comedy takes place at Comedy Village in Times Square every second Thursday of the month. 

Vickie Wang’s website: https://www.vickiew.com/

**DOORS OPEN at 5:00pm**

The event will kick off with a jazz performance by the Rico Jones Trio and feature the Talking Taiwan Podcast Experience

Rico Jones is a six-time Downbeat Magazine Award winning tenor saxophonist and composer. He has received widespread acclaim across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with featured reviews in DownBeat Magazine, The New York City Jazz Record, Jazz Life (Japan), Jazz Fun (Germany), UK Vibe, Rockerilla (Italy), All About Jazz, Jazz Podium, Jazz and Culture, and more. His 2025 "Bloodlines" was awarded ★★★★ by DownBeat Magazine and named to their prestigious Best Albums of 2025 list.

This year we're adding a New component- LIVE Band Karaoke. ORDER a SONG REQUEST IN ADVANCE for an additional $25!

Experience the Talking Taiwan Podcast LIVE!

Talking Taiwan Host Felicia Lin will interview 3 Taiwanese women musicians: Zen Micheline Hung (Piano Prodigy, Composer, and Animal Activist), Paige Su (Harpist, Singer & Composer), and Wen-Ting Wu (Drummer & Percussionist). Each will be performing at the gala. 

Enjoy Taiwanese cuisine (catered by 886 Restaurant), Taiwan Beer and DAE Tea (an award-winning five generation Taiwanese tea brand, better known as Hwa Gung Tea 華剛茶業 in Taiwan).

Raffle prizes include: Win Son Presents A Taiwanese American Cookbook (Autographed by authors Josh Ku & Trigg Brown, a Yun Hai gift certificate, Dead Can't Make A Living- Autographed by author Ed Lin, DAE Tea (an award-winning five generation Taiwanese tea brand, better known as Hwa Gung Tea 華剛茶業 in Taiwan), Original Artwork by Ashton Yeh, Case of Taiwan Beer, and more...

ATTIRE: Elegant & Stylish

The fun continues at the After Party at the Talking Taiwan Studio.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

5:00 pm Opening Jazz Set with Rico Jones Trio

5:30 pm Opening and Greetings from the Talking Taiwan Team (Felicia Lin & Kaju Roberto)

5:45 pm Talking Taiwan Podcast LIVE Interviews with Wen-Ting Wu, Zen Micheline Hung + Musical Performances

6:15 pm Talking Taiwan Band Off The Hook Set 1 and Dinner begins

6:45 pm Talking Taiwan Podcast LIVE Interview with Paige Su + Musical Performance

7:15pm Talking Taiwan Band Off The Hook Set 2

7:45 pm Raffle & Announcements

The Fun Continues at the After Party!

8:30 pm After Party Continues at the Talking Taiwan Studio 

ATTIRE: Elegant & Stylish

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:

Zen Micheline Hung, 15, is an award-winning classical pianist who began studying piano at age three and competing at age six. She earned her first major honor at just six years old, receiving the Grand Prix at the International Concert Festival Competition at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Her subsequent accolades include First Prize at the Piano Teachers Congress (2018, 2020), First Place in the Steinway & Sons Junior Competition (2019), and Grand Prix at the International Concerto Competition. In 2025, she was nominated for Most Inspiring Pianist of the Year by Pianote and received the Flora Kibbe Humane Hero Award from the Bideawee Ball.

Zen has performed at Carnegie Hall since age six and continues to appear regularly at Merkin Hall and Steinway Hall, with a recent debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. As a sixth-grader, her piano performance was featured in Donda, in the track Come to Life. In addition to her classical training, she composes and performs across jazz and pop genres.

Driven by a deep commitment to animal welfare, Zen performs weekly for rescue animals at Bideawee in New York City, a dedication recognized by international media including ABC World News, People Magazine, and CBC News. She is also the creator of Zen’s Piano Paws, a first-of-its-kind podcast created specifically for animals, using music to reduce stress and promote calm.

Paige Su (蘇珮卿) is a Taiwanese indie singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (harp, flute, piano), composer, and producer whose artistry defies categories. Her work has earned her major recognition at the Golden Melody Awards and Golden Indie Music Awards in Taiwan, including the Best Alternative Single Award (6th), Best Live Performance Award (13th), and both Best Songwriter and Best Album of the Year Awards (14th). She has also been nominated for Best New Artist and Best Female Singer, with a total of 13 GIMA and 2 GMA nominations to date.

A graduate of the University of North Texas College of Music, Paige has lived many musical lives: she began in classical music as a flutist, pianist, and harpist; explored jazz as a vocalist; and spent years traveling to South India to immerse herself in traditional Carnatic music. These experiences ultimately led her to discover her true voice—one that blends all these influences into a sound uniquely her own.

Her music reflects the depth of her classical roots, her love for alternative and pop, and her curiosity for world, jazz, and experimental sounds. In every song, Paige brings together the textures, colors, and emotions of her diverse musical journey, creating work that feels both intimate and boundary-breaking.

Wen-Ting Wu is a drummer, composer, and educator from Taiwan, currently based in New York. Known for her versatility and emotive expression, she uses music as a spiritual vessel to create a space of freedom, honesty, and empathy. Her past releases include Pause & Effect, a trio project released on ESP-Disk, and As a Women..., a 19-minute jazz suite featuring Mimi Jones and Neta Raanan, commissioned through the Silver Lining Artist Awards. She is also selected as the member of M3 (Mutual Mentorship of Musicians) cohort 8 to create a duo commission. In addition to leading her own projects, Wu is an active performer and collaborator. She is a regular member of Frank Lacy's Septet & Classical Jazz Ensemble, and the AAPI Jazz Collective and has shared the stage with notable artists such as Ed Cherry, Mimi Jones, Charenee Wade, Helen Sung, and Lonnie Plaxico. She has performed at prestigious venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smoke Jazz Club, The Met Museum and Smalls Jazz Club. Wu’s diverse musical career also includes international tours with the indie-pop band Sunset Rollercoaster. She is endorsed by Canopus drums. 

EVENT TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE:

$25 One LIVE Band Karaoke song request (Price until April 24)

$100 EARLY Bird: Full Talking Taiwan Experience INCLUDES DINNER + DRINKS (Price until April 24) 

$150 Full Talking Taiwan Experience INCLUDES DINNER + DRINKS (Price April 25-28)

$50 EARLY Bird Price for GALA + DRINKS ONLY **NO FOOD** (Price until April 24)

$75 GALA Late Pricing + DRINKS ONLY **NO FOOD** (Price April 25-30)

$85 SAME DAY Admission Ticket to the GALA (only available May 1) **DRINKS ONLY NO FOOD**

ABOUT TALKING TAIWAN

Talking Taiwan is a Golden Crane Podcast Award Winner, 2025 T.O. Webfest nominee and  shortlisted in the 2024 International Women’s Podcast Awards “Moment of Visionary Leadership” category. Hosted by Felicia Lin, Talking Taiwan is the longest running, independently produced Taiwan-related podcast that covers stories and political news related to Taiwan and Taiwan’s global community. 

Since 2013, Talking Taiwan has presented highly valuable, alternative sources of information to listeners through a wide variety of in-depth personal interviews with compelling guests related to Taiwan and Taiwan’s diaspora. The preservation of oral histories is also an important part of Talking Taiwan’s work.

TALKING TAIWAN’S 2026 FUNDRAISING GOAL

The Talking Taiwan Fundraising Gala is part of a larger effort to raise $100,000 to support Talking Taiwan's 2026 programming, which includes bringing the podcast to TAC-EC (Taiwanese American Conference- East Coast), and TAC-WC (Taiwanese American Conference- West Coast).

For Sponsorship Inquiries Contact: talkingtaiwanpodcast[at]gmail.com