Combining deep classical roots with his background in songwriting and production, Aaron Zigman – who has composed more than 60 Hollywood films, including The Notebook (2004), Sex and the City I & II (2008 and 2010), and A Jazzman’s Blues (2022) – brings a rare degree of versatility to his classical compositions.

In November 2023, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Yu Long premiered Zigman’s 90-minute oratorio, Émigré. Set against the backdrop of the Jewish migration to Shanghai during WWII, Émigré is co-commissioned with New York Philharmonic, with lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winner Mark Campbell and additional lyrics by songwriter Brock Walsh. The American premiere took place in February 2024 with New York Philharmonic. Further performances are planned for the 2024/25 season with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Beijing Music Festival. A full recording of Émigré was released on Deutsche Grammophon in January 2024. Recorded during the week of the world premiere in Shanghai, the album features the opening night cast and lead commissioner Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, alongside Lanzhou Concert Hall Choir and members of New York Philharmonic Chorus conducted by Long Yu. The album was shortlisted for Opus Klassik’s World Premiere Recording of the Year Award.

2019 saw the world premiere of Zigman’s Tango Manos, a concerto for piano and orchestra. Written for and performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Tango Manos was co-commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival, Radio France and San Francisco Symphony. The world premiere performance was given by China Philharmonic conducted by Huang Yi. Tango Manos was premiered in France by Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Mikko Frank, and in the USA by San Francisco Symphony under the baton of Fabien Gabel.