Mantawoman

Mantawoman is a Chinese American musician, singer-songwriter, and performer from San Francisco. Recognized as one of the world’s most innovative and accomplished yangqin players, she has gained international acclaim for her ability to bridge traditional Chinese music with modern sonic landscapes. Praised by Yo-Yo Ma as “courageous, passionate, truth-seeking,” Mantawoman weaves fun, hyperreal aesthetics into deep explorations of love and spirituality. Born Reylon Yount, Mantawoman began her career making history as the first North American yangqin player to compete in China at the 2014 Baotou International Yangqin Arts Festival, where she won a silver prize. She went on to record and tour with the Silkroad Ensemble, becoming the first and only yangqin player to feature on a GRAMMY-winning album (Sing Me Home, 2016). Mantawoman has toured prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, TED, Tanglewood, Xinghai Concert Hall, and LSO St Luke’s and recorded on film soundtracks for Marvel, Netflix, and a Sundance-winning animated short. Collaborators include Rhiannon Giddens, Johnny Gandelsman, Kayhan Kalhor, Caroline Polachek, and Luke Pritchard of The Kooks. In 2023, Mantawoman was selected for the Southbank Centre Studio residency and won the Jerwood New Work Fund, which funded their self-released EP The Way She Makes Us Waves. Manta has received plays on BBC Radio and over 9 million views online.