Grace Leong was born in Sabah, Malaysia. Leong found her growing desire to pursue jazz seriously after performing Indie/Pop Rock music in hotels, on cruises, and other venues around Asia, including Macau, Singapore, and Thailand for five years. Despite her unconventional background, she applied for West Virginia University and to God’s grace, given a full scholarship from WVU and awarded Graduate Assistantship at University of Iowa for her Masters in Jazz Studies. She is currently leading her swing dance band Bonahop, as well as a sideman in various ensembles and settings. 

As a musician, connecting with the audience is a vital part of her musical philosophy. Not surprisingly, she savors every opportunity she has to educate and share her love for music, and the pedagogical exploration of jazz continues to be one of the highlights of her music career.