Jessica Shih

Prioritizing melodies that tell human narratives through layered orchestration, Jessica Shih’s music defies trends and withstands time. Her compositions have a versatility that complements a wide range of multimedia storytelling from independent films to period dramas—they can in turn evoke grand tragedies as well as small joys, lofty ardor as well as private nostalgia, elegiac majesty as well as subtle intimacy.

A composer, arranger, performer, and sound engineer, Jessica began her music education in piano performance and has studied music theory, harmony, and orchestration at Juilliard Extension. Drawing from such classical influences, she writes primarily for piano and string ensemble with a focus on melodic motion and high emotional intensity.

  Jessica’s music is adaptable to stories of human connections precisely because much of her music arises out of witnessing such connections. She explains, “When I witness a conversation or interaction between people, I make a mental note to myself and just let it sit and brew in the back of my mind. Then, usually in moments when I don’t expect it, the thing that I witnessed resurfaces as a melody.”

A meticulous observer by nature, her sources of inspiration are not limited to scenes involving people. According to Jessica, even witnessing a forest fire or a rainy day can feel like a “connection.” In her songwriting, she strives to transform these observations into music that serves as bridges between storytelling and felt emotions that resonate beyond fiction. “For me, the act of creating music is a way to make connections between different aspects of human experiences, both with other people and with the world around us.”

Though her recent work is largely classical, Jessica credits its harmonic complexity and playful whimsy to a production background in jazz. She is the founder of Piadrum Records, a label based in New Jersey, through which she has produced seven jazz albums between 2001 and 2007, performing piano on two of the albums.