©Photo: Dario Acosta Photography

AARON ZIGMAN’S ÉMIGRÉ PREMIERES IN SHANGHAI

15/11/2023

Émigré — the new oratorio composed by Aaron Zigman, with libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Mark Campbell and additional lyrics by Brock Walsh — premieres with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra on 17, 19 and 20 November. Long Yu conducts the orchestra with New York Philharmonic Chorus and Lanzhou Concert Hall Choir at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, featuring soloists Andrew Dwan, Arnold Livingston Geis, Diana Newman, Shenyang, Matthew White, Meigui Zhang, and Huiling Zhu.

Émigré tells the story of two Jewish brothers who arrive in Shanghai in 1938, part of the wave of 30,000 European Jewish refugees who fled to China following Kristallnacht.

Deutsche Grammophon will record Émigré with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Long Yu, the Lanzhou Concert Hall Choir, New York Philharmonic Chorus, and the opening night cast. The album is set for digital release in Spring 2024 with worldwide physical release in Summer 2024.

The US premiere takes place on 29 February and 1 March 2024 at the David Geffan Hall, Lincoln Center, with co-commissioners New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Long Yu. The performances will be semi-staged, directed by Mary Birnbaum.

“Writing this oratorio about the cultural exchange between the people of China and the Jews has such a compelling meaning for me. If not for Shanghai and the goodwill of the people of China, some of my ancestors and someone very close to me would have perished at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. My aim was to write a piece that expressed the beauty, yet also pain and hope for a better future that both the Chinese and Jews experienced together during the 1930s and 1940s.”

Aaron Zigman

“In the flood of history, we cannot avoid the changes in social circumstances, but the light and goodness of humanity is a steady boat that never sinks. She can pierce the darkness and carry the destiny of humanity and the continuity of history, sailing towards a bright and hopeful future… I am proud to be sharing this important work, brought to life by Aaron and Mark, and to be conducting the world premiere performance and the Deutsche Grammophon recording of the piece.”

Long Yu