Composer and multi-faceted musician Van-Ahn (Vanessa) Vo’s new stage production, The Odyssey from Vietnam to America, premieres on January 22 and 23, 2016 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The piece, four years in the making, draws upon interviews Vo conducted with former Vietnamese boat people–refugees who fled the country after the fall of Saigon, making perilous journeys across the sea in small boats. Vo’s collaborating organization, Asian Americans for Community Involvement assisted with identifying former boat people and arranging the interviews. The Odyssey features Van-Ahn Vo on traditional Vietnamese instruments and her contemporary chamber ensemble. Also featured are cellist and conductor Alex Kelly, percussionist Jimi Nakagawa, musician and composer Dan Cantrell, ethnomusicologist Philip Blackburn, and video artist Ian Winters. Tickets are available.
Van-Anh Vo premieres “The Odyssey from Vietnam to America,” January 22-23
