Émigré

In the late 1930s, Jewish refugees escaping Nazi Germany found a home and a community in Shanghai, China—one of only two countries in the world that would accept them. While Shanghai had previously served as a haven for Jews escaping persecution, the many refugees who fled to the city directly after Kristallnacht arrived on the shores of a country affected by the occupation of Japan and the atrocities of the Nanjing Massacre committed less than a year before. This moment in history is the backdrop of Émigré, an oratorio in two acts that dramatizes the experiences of two Jewish brothers who arrive in Shanghai as refugees in 1938. As the young men navigate their new life, bonds are formed between the Jewish and Shanghainese communities that test the social boundaries and traditional ideas of both. As Émigré reaches its tragic conclusion in a love story that mirrors the larger world, its message emerges: Our survival as a race depends on diverse communities learning to embrace our shared humanity.
Format: Oratorio/opera
Running Time: 90 minutes (two acts)
Character breakdown:

Lyric tenor
Tenor
Mezzo-soprano
Coloratura soprano
Bass-baritone
Lyric soprano
Bass-baritone
Speaking role: Japanese military official
Mixed chorus: Jewish refugees, Shanghai citizens

Notes:

Aaron Zigman (composer), Mark Campbell (librettist), Brock Walsh (songwriter)

Snapshot

Original or Prominent Production:
Premiered on 17 November 2023 at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall before US premiere on 29 February 2024 at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Nationality of Author: U.S.
Original Language: English
Publisher:

Recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in live and studio sessions in the context of the world premiere performance; released in February 2024.

Production Rights Holder:

Commissioned by Maestro Long Yu, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic.

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