May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States.
This month recognizes the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States.
This demographic group is collectively referred to as Asian Pacific Americans (APA) or Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
Classical IPR is celebrating AAPI classical musicians this month with a new podcast series called "AAPI Classical Artists of Interlochen."
Hosted and produced by Classical IPR fellow Isabel Li, "AAPI Classical Artists of Interlochen" profiles Asian American and Pacific Islander artists of Interlochen who play significant roles in the world of classical music.
"There are so many AAPI-identifying classical musicians in orchestras globally, but too often they are perceived according to a single story that is unfortunately linked to the 'model minority' or the 'Asian prodigy' myth," Li says. "I hope this project brings greater visibility to the truly diverse stories of AAPI classical artists and how they actively reshape this art form with their creativity, expression and unique perspectives -- and how they continue to contribute to Interlochen!"
Musicians to be profiled this month include conductor Keitara Harada, flutist Norman Menzales and Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast host Debra Lew Harder.
"We're excited to share this new series with listeners," said IPR's music director Amanda Sewell. "AAPI musicians make such important contributions to classical music, and those contributions are as varied as the individual musicians themselves."
New episodes of "AAPI Classical Artists of Interlochen" will be released on Tuesdays and Fridays during the month of May. Episodes will be available on IPR's website and on all major podcast platforms.
Additional resources
Federal resources on Asian / Pacific American Heritage Month
President Donald J. Trump's Proclamation on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (2025)
