妈妈，爸爸。
(For Mum, Dad)
By Eva Ding
Performances Nov 18-20 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $20
Performing works by Asian and Asian hyphenate composers and collaborating with a team of immigrant creatives, Eva Ding (flute) and Emma Kato (cello) weave together a story about the journey of one woman's travels to a foreign land, mirroring the struggles and triumphs of immigrant parents across the globe in an interdisciplinary performance of 妈妈, 爸爸 (For Mum, Dad).
妈妈, 爸爸 is a love letter to Ding’s own Chinese parents, who sacrificed so much – living in separate countries, learning entirely new cultures and languages – so that she could have a richer, more fulfilling life – the kind of life they didn't get to experience. It is a love letter to all immigrant families who have sacrificed their cultures and dirtied their hands to provide for their children and their future.
COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDELINES
Per New York City's vaccine mandate, all attendees must show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to be admitted to the event. Attendees are required to wear face masks throughout the performance. To read our full COVID-19 Safety Guidelines, please click here.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
EVA DING (She/Her) Often humorously likened to an inflatable tube man onstage because of her enthusiasm and physicality, all flutist and multi-disciplinary artist Eva Ding ever wants to do is imbue in her audience the same sense of joy and richness the performing arts gives her. Ever-changing and growing in her craft, Eva is currently working on creating interactive works that meld together her passions for music, theater, and film.
An avid proponent of contemporary music, Eva has given premiere performances of Tailleferre’s Concertino, The Golden Flute Concerto by Chen Yi, and an orchestral arrangement of Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Trio. She is also passionate about illuminating classical music for a new kind of audience – one that looks more like her – and gave an online talk for Crushing The Myth to that end, on how to listen to classical music and its relevance today.
With her flute-cello duo – KOE, Eva received an Ensemble Forward Grant from Chamber Music America funded by the New York Community Trust and recently premiered two pieces by Chinese American composers – Chen Yi and Zhou Long – as part of Protestra’s Heritage Against Hate concert.
EMMA KATO (She/Her) is a cellist and music instructor, born and raised in New York City. She started playing the cello at the age of 6 at Third Street Music School, where she studied with Su Hang, Tova Rosenberg, Carolyn Jeselsohn, and Sibylle Johner. Later, she attended Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, where she continued her musical education.
Emma received her Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music in 2018, studying with renowned cellist Alan Harris, and completed her Master of Music in 2020 at the Manhattan School of Music with Julia Lichten.
Growing up, Emma won 1st prize in the Wagner College Young Musician Competition and the Associated Music Teachers League Scholarship Competition. More recently she won 2nd place in the Cello Concerto Competition at The Eastman School of Music.
Emma first started teaching in 2012 at various music camps, such as Third Street Music School, Chamber Music Center, and Kinhaven Music School. She currently works as a music instructor at Brooklyn Waldorf School in New York City and is pursuing the Suzuki Teacher Training Program at The School for Strings.