Long Yu | Aaron Zigman Émigré

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Programme
Aaron ZIGMAN ｜Émigré (Oratorio, Hong Kong Premiere)

Two brothers flee imminent Nazi persecution following Kristallnacht in 1938. They find sanctuary in the distant and unfamiliar city of Shanghai, joining 30,000 other Jewish refugees in rebuilding lives away from their native land. The forbidden love between the younger brother and a Shanghainese girl ends in tragedy. With lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Campbell and Brock Walsh, Aaron Zigman’s new oratorio, Émigré, was co-commissioned by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra under Long Yu and the New York Philharmonic. For its Hong Kong debut, Long Yu will conduct an international cast of singers in a poignant semi-staged production.

The concert runs approximately 75 minutes without an intermission.

Artists
Long Yu, conductor
Aaron Zigman, composer
Mark Campbell, lyricist
Brock Walsh, lyricist
Matthew White, tenor as Otto Bader
Arnold Livingston Geis, tenor as Josef Bader
Zhu Huiling, mezzo-soprano as Li Song
Yu Guanqun, soprano as Lina Song
Tian Haojiang, bass as Wei Song
Janai Brugger, soprano as Tovah Odesska
Andrew Dwan, bass-baritone as Yaakov Bader
Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus
Lanzhou Concert Hall Choir

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is one of the leading orchestras in Asia. The annual schedule focuses on symphonic repertoire, with conductors and soloists from all over the world. The HK Phil runs an extensive education programme, commissions new works, and nurtures local talent. The most recent recording project is Wagner’s Ring Cycle following the first-ever performances in Hong Kong of these four operas. In 2019, the HK Phil received the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award – the first orchestra in Asia to receive this distinction. With Music Director Jaap van Zweden since 2012, the HK Phil has toured to Europe, Asia, Australia, and on numerous occasions to Mainland China. Yu Long is the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor, while Lio Kuokman is the Resident Conductor of the HK Phil.