Dr. Ka Hei Cheng is a Hong Kong–born interdisciplinary artist, composer, and researcher whose work merges experimental music, data sonification, spatial audio, digital fabrication, and Chinese calligraphic dance. She recently earned her Ph.D. in Experimental Music and Digital Media from Louisiana State University, following studies at The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Bowling Green State University.
Cheng’s research-based practice explores the poetic and structural interplay between sound, movement, language, and data. Her creative works often involve generative systems, custom-built digital instruments, and interactive performance environments that bridge tradition and technology. Her dissertation project, Phantom of Utopia, translates Chinese calligraphy and Taoist philosophy into four-dimensional audio-visual performance using motion tracking, AI-driven sonification, and extended reality. The work has been presented at TEI 2024, ICMC 2025, SEAMUS, NYCEMF, and Louisiana State University.
Her projects span data sonification (COVID-19 Genomic Navigator, Unobtrusive Auditory Display for Weather Reporting), gesture-based systems (The Entangling Turner), and immersive audiovisual environments (PhoeniX, Resonance). She has developed audio systems using Max/MSP, Pure Data, FluCoMa, and machine learning libraries, often integrating spatial audio formats.
Cheng’s works have been presented at international venues and conferences including NIME (2021–2024), ICAD, ICMC, and TEI. She co-authored Contingent Dreams with Dr. Hye Yeon Nam and Dr. Brendan Harmon, a project combining robotic drawing and algorithmic sound mapping, exhibited at TEI 2023. Her collaborative installation Shifting Datum was exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, merging sound design with 3D printed landscapes.
As a composer, Cheng’s output spans from chamber orchestra (Nibiru, Cleveland Chamber Symphony) and acoustic commissions to commercial music for CNA Group and multimedia collaborations. She was featured on the album CCI//Sessions Vol. 2 and has written music for the EdUHK Screen Music Program and the Collaborative Composition Initiative.
In both research and creative practice, Cheng is committed to interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural hybridity, and embodied expression. Her work integrates Eastern aesthetics with new media systems, using technology as both medium and co-creator. She continues to explore the boundaries of sound, movement, and meaning across physical and virtual space.
Ka Hei Cheng 