The Odyssey–from Vietnam to America

Performances

The Odyssey–from Vietnam to America

Vân-Ánh Võ presented by YBCA |

January 22–23, 2016

Oscar®-nominated and Emmy®Award-winning composer Vân-Ánh Võ premieres a new musical epic inspired by the experiences of the Vietnamese “Boat People.”

The Odyssey–from Vietnam to America explores the personal and spiritual journeys of the Boat People escaping war and reflects upon the resilience of the human spirit and the price of freedom.

Conveying stories of human transformation that resonates for all, The Odyssey utilizes the beautiful sound of traditional Vietnamese instruments and lullabies to evoke the deepest sense of comfort, calm, and strength; complimented by layers of electronic music and Western instruments to embrace the parallel experiences of people from other communities.

The performances will feature musicians from Vân-Ánh Võ (The VA’V) Quartet with Alex Kelly on cello, Jimi Nakagawa on taiko and percussions, and Dan Cantrell on accordion and piano. Guest artists include award-winning environmental sound artist and ethnomusicologist Philip Blackburn, who has published articles on Vietnamese music, and award-winning video and media artist Ian Winters.

Created by composer-performer Vân-Ánh Võ in partnership with Asian Americans for Community Involvement.

About Vân-Ánh Võ

Vân-Ánh Võ is an internationally renowned performer of Vietnamese traditional instruments and a rapidly emerging composer. She dedicates her life to creating music by blending the wonderfully unique sounds of Vietnamese instruments with other music genres, and fusing deeply rooted Vietnamese musical traditions with fresh new structures and compositions.

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Playbill for The Odyssey

“Vân Ánh Võ’s The Odyssey: From Vietnam to America is a testament to the suffering and triumphs of the courageous refugees who fled the bloodshed of war and their ravaged lands by boat to sail to freedom…”

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This project was made possible in part by a grant from The Creative Work Fund, a program of the Walter and Elise Haas Fund also supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Additional support provided by the Do & Pham Family and the Lam Family.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is grateful to the City of San Francisco for its ongoing support.

YBCA Programs in 15-16 are made possible by: The James Irvine Foundation.

Additional Funding for YBCA Programs 15-16: National Endowment for the Arts, Adobe, Gaia Fund, Grosvenor, and Members of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

YBCA Performances 15-16 are made possible in part by: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Salesforce.com.

Additional Funding for YBCA Performances 15-16: Zellerbach Family Foundation and Surdna Foundation.