A bridge of magpies
A young Chinese musician leaves his family in Hong Kong to become the next great violinist. The opera examines the challenges of growing up between two cultures and the struggles of finding an identity in both.
George Tsz-Kwan Lam, Composer
George Tsz-Kwan Lam's works have focused on the idea of musical placemaking, including his recent work "The Emigrants" (2018), commissioned by the cello-percussion duo New Morse Code.
a bridge of magpies The Proposal
Eugenie Chan, Librettist
Eugenie Chan is a playwright and artistic director of Eugenie Chan Theater Projects (ECTP), dedicated to telling the untold stories of Chinese in the American West.
Curator discussion
with Leigh Rondon-Davis, Jonathan Khuner & Mary Chun
Artist Interviews: A bridge of Magpies
InFocus Issue 5
A Bridge of Magpies
Get to know them: First Opera Stories
previous work samples
Composer George Tsz-kwan Lam introduces "The Emigrants"
Lebrettist Eugenie Chen introduces the auction scene from madame ho
Composer George tsz-kwan lam introduces
Sissieretta jones, Carnegie hall, 1902:
O patria mia
Audio from "The Emigrants"
Auction scene from "madame ho"
Sissieretta jones, Carnegie hall, 1902:
O patria mia
George Tsz-Kwan Lam Bio:
George Tsz-Kwan Lam grew up in both Hong Kong and Winthrop, Massachusetts, and is currently Associate Professor of Music at Hong Kong Baptist University. Recently, Lam’s works have focused on the idea of musical placemaking, including his recent work "The Emigrants" (2018), commissioned by the cello-percussion duo New Morse Code. "The Emigrants" premiered at the Queens Museum in December 2018, and has been featured at the 2019 Re:Sound Festival in Cleveland and the 2020 New Music Gathering. Other recent works include “Shrewsbury Fair” (2017) for Oak Middle School in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; and “A Story, Again, Misremembered” (2017) as part of the 2017 International Trombone Festival composers workshop. George Lam served as the 2018 composer-in-residence at the Chautauqua Opera Company, and is also a founding member of the NYC-based new opera ensemble Rhymes With Opera.
Eugenie chan Bio:
Eugenie Chan is a playwright and artistic director of Eugenie Chan Theater Projects (ECTP), dedicated to telling the untold stories of Chinese in the American West. Upcoming projects include: "The Truer History of the Chan Family, a new vaudeville", live-streamed, ECTP at ArtsEmerson, Boston; Chinese Historical Society, San Francisco, MOCA & The Flea Theater, NYC, Spring 2021; "The Reluctant Vampire", Edinburgh Fringe Festival, August 2021; "Heterotopia", Paul Dresher Ensemble/Shadowlight Theatre, San Francisco, October 2021. Theaters that have produced or developed her plays include the Public, Playwrights Horizons, Houston Grand Opera: HGOco, Cutting Ball, Magic, San Francisco Mime Troupe, Crowded Fire, Northwest Asian American Theatre, Perishable. Resident Playwright, R & D Playwrights Lab, Crowded Fire. Resident Alumna: New Dramatists, Playwrights Foundation. Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco Performing Arts & Social Justice Department.
Directed by Jessica Heidt; Music by composer Byron Au Yong
Performed by Bonnie Akimoto*, Keiko Shimosato Carreiro*, Lisa Hori-Garcia +, Christine Jamlig,
Rinabeth Apostol*, Mimu Tsujimura, Lily Tung Crystal *+ and erhu musician Alan Yip
(*Member Actors Equity Association +Member SAG/AFTRA)
October 5 – 21, 2017, Eugenie Chan Theater Projects @ the EXIT Theatre (ticketed); Cameron House, (free community shows), SF Chinatown, Oct 28-29, 2017.