22 | OCTOBER 5 • 2023 J
N
OUR COMMUNITY
C
ongregation Shaarey Zedek will
be hosting “Creating Shanghai
Sonatas, a new American
musical,” a 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, as
part of its Soundstage Shaarey Zedek
Series. This is a multimedia concert and
behind-the-scenes glimpse about the
creation of this musical work with its
composer Sean (Xiang) Gao.
This instrumental performance tells
the story of the European Jews who
escaped Nazi Germany to find refuge in
Shanghai and went on to build a shared
community with the Chinese who had
been similarly persecuted under the
Japanese occupation.
Today, when discrimination against
both Jews and Asians is on the rise, this
uplifting story has renewed relevance
by illustrating how two very different
groups of people can come together
through a shared love of music.
Gao is a concert violinist, composer
and concert producer. He serves as
the Trustees Distinguished Professor
of Music at the University of Delaware
and is the founder of the University
of Delaware Master Players Concert
Series and its ensemble in residence,
6-WIRE Trio. Gao was named as one of
Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals
in 2021 and has performed to sold-out
audiences at Carnegie Hall and with
symphonies all over the world.
The JN spoke with Gao about his
upcoming performance.
JN: What can you tell us about this
performance?
Gao: I’m so looking forward to Oct.
19, bringing my 6-WIRE Trio and
joined by four other amazing guest
artists from the University of Michigan,
my alma mater, to share the history
and the inspiration behind Shanghai
The story of how Jewish refugees from Europe
and the Chinese community in Shanghai built a
common culture based on music.
SUSAN KOZIK KLEIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Creating
Shanghai Sonatas
Cathy Yang,
Sean Gao and
Matt Brower