Sonia Rao began writing to survive. Raised in an environment defined by control and silence, she had no language for what she was living through—so it went into journals, songs, and poems. That early practice became the foundation of her work.

Her work has been featured in Forbes and TED, and she has spoken at Microsoft, Disney, and organizations across the country. Her work has been honored by the Los Angeles City Council, the New York City Mayor’s Office, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. She is a 2025 NYFA Awardee for Music.

As a music artist and producer, Sonia has released three albums and toured internationally. Her songs have been featured in over 40 TV shows and films, and she was named Buzzfeed’s “Asian American Artist to Watch.” A finalist on NBC’s The Voice, she is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist who sings and plays violin, piano, flute, guitar, and ukulele.

Across music, writing, and visual art, Sonia approaches creativity as a record of consciousness and reclamation.

She also facilitates belonging workshops and creativity coaching. She studied psychology at UC Berkeley and DEI at Stanford University. She is queer and first-generation Indian American.