author
Sebastian Zhang
I love playing the asalato, and learning about its wonderful culture. I have been playing the asalato since 2019.
In 2024, I became the first asalatist from outside Asia to attain top 8 in competition in the ASALATO NIGHT Freestyle Battle in Kyoto, Japan. In 2025, I competed in the ASALATRIBE World Asalato Online Battle, where I advanced to the top 4. I have also played the asalato in live settings with my band woodwork, as one of the only gigging asalatists in North America. I have studied the asalato under PANMAN.
I graduated from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin with a BM in Music Studies in 2025, studying music education, concert percussion, and composition. I am currently at the Yale School of Music, pursuing an MM in Music Composition. My instructors include Ivan Trevino, Aaron Jay Kernis, Omar Thomas, Yevgeniy Sharlat, and Thomas Burritt.
My most well-known work is as a composer of concert music, largely for percussion.
For more information about me, visit www.sebastianzhang.com/about