#290 Lora Chow: Reveries from the Trading Floor to the Concert Hall — Part Two
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Why did Lora Chow leave her finance career?
Hi, everyone. Welcome to our show, Chief Change Officer. I'm Vince Chen, your ambitious human host. Our show is a modernist humility for change progressives in organizational and human transformation from around the world. Today's guest is Nora Chow, fellow Yale alum, former fund manager, and someone whose journey mirrors mind in more ways than one. We are both from Hong Kong, shaped by the same family and societal expectations to chase money, business, and brand names. We followed the expected path, elite schools, big careers, but eventually stepped away from the weight of titles, status, and what we were supposed to want. In this two-part series, Nora shares how she returned to music, launched her new album, Referees on Ivory, and built a life that sounds like her, not someone else's script. From headphones to harmonies, this is a story about dropping the labels and choosing the nooks that matter. Let's get into it. The way I see it, for a period of time, your head led the way.
You let your heart stay in the background, not ignored, but quieter, still beating, still alive. You didn't silence it, but you asked it to wait while you focused on logic, on what made sense at the time. And then as life changed, maybe your heart changed too, and you decided it was the time to let it lead a little more, to let it take center stage. You are still the same Nora with sharp analytical skills, skills you developed in finance, skills you will still need as you undertake new endeavors. You are just choosing to use those skills differently now to support something more personal, more meaningful. So while you've shifted into using your artistic side to help transform lives, I see it as you finally giving your heart the spotlight.
But your head is still right there, backing it up.
Yeah, yeah, that's very true. And I feel that I focus more on my heart because my mindset has changed. I focus more on like the spiritual growth actually over the last couple of years. And I realized that a lot of things, if we believe that it will happen, it will actually happen. And I guess starting Virtuoso Fiesta in 2023 was like a dream came true for me and Ruda. And we realized that dreams can come true. And there are a lot of supporting community that can help us realize our dreams. And that's why I think I should follow my heart.
What is Virtuoso Fiesta and its mission?
So your music venture, what's the name of it again? And what does it mean? Any special meaning?
Virtuoso Fiesta. Virtuoso means musicians or artists who are very skilled, highly skilled. And fiesta means party and festive atmosphere. So we want to make music at the highest artistic excellence, at the highest standard, but also at the same time fun and accessible and open to the community. Was your core mission there? So my key mission is to promote music that are very high standard, but in innovative ways. For example, through writing new music that are more accessible to the public and that address social issues and inspire changes. Because I feel that music has a very strong power to move people across any culture's to people with any background and it does soothe the soul and also inspire new thinking and motivates harmony and peace. So our mission is really to promote this power of music to the broader community And in innovative ways because we think that it's time to make changes. We need young people, young forces to make concerts fun instead of being super formal and serious.
How does music promote healing and connection?
We want people to listen to music just for their enjoyment.
Yeah, I must say the world we live in now feels broken, fermented. and honestly depressed. That's why we're facing this huge crisis of loneliness and mental unwellness. And music, when I say music, I don't just mean classical. It could be pop, jazz, or whatever speaks to someone. It's such a powerful force to help us heal. Even in small ways, it can stabilize our emotions Bring us back to ourselves. Hopefully. Let's go back to your music venture for a moment. You got a mission. But what about the actions? You compose? You perform? What else are you doing as part of this work?
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why did Lora Chow leave her finance career?
0:11–4:23
2
What is Virtuoso Fiesta and its mission?
4:23–6:07
3
How does music promote healing and connection?
6:07–7:43
4
What innovative approaches is Lora using in music?
7:43–9:34
5
How does Lora integrate community support in her projects?
9:34–12:45
6
What can we expect from Lora's upcoming album?
12:45–20:26
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Chief Change Officer™: Ensemble
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