Hao Jiang Tian is the first Chinese-born opera singer to achieve a lasting success on world stages. A bass with a voice that is unusually sweet and versatile, he has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera every season since he debuted there in 1991. He performs the major bass roles at the great opera houses around the globe. Recently he and his wife, Martha Liao, have begun to foster new Chinese opera and talent for the world to hear. Now an American citizen, Tian has homes in New York City, Denver (where he used to sing at a piano bar), and Beijing.

Lois B. Morris and her husband, Robert Lipsyte, have written for the New York Times about classical music and opera. Separately, Morris writes about mental health and psychology, including a long running column in Allure. She has written or co-written eight books. Lipsyte is a New York Times contributor, former sports and city columnist, and television commentator. He has written seventeen books.