New York City-based flutist Mei Yoshimura Stone first discovered her love of music in animated movie soundtracks; since then, she has been fascinated with storytelling through sound and the messages and memories we can share through music. Committed to collaborating with artists of all genres, Stone has performed on modern, baroque, and classical flutes and recorders alongside Claire Chase and the International Contemporary Ensemble, Grammy-Award-winning ensemble eighth blackbird, visual artist Anela Ming-Yue Oh, Les Arts Florissants, and Juilliard415. Stone holds a bachelor of music degree in orchestral flute performance and a master's degree in baroque flute, both from The Juilliard School. She serves as artistic director of the Sound Garden Quintet, whose Seed Sowing Project challenges and redefines the conventions of classical music and brings them to underserved communities across the United States. She is also co-founder of In Nomine, an NYC-based early music ensemble specializing in 17th and 18th century repertoire. Outside of music, Mei still loves watching animated movies (her favorite is How to Train Your Dragon), and she also enjoys solo traveling, trying new foods, and running marathons.