The Inside Story: Sheli Nan and SARAH AND HAGAR
Art has the power to inspire, enlighten, and heal, and historical influence only magnifies its poignancy. On SARAH AND HAGAR, The Reconciliation of the Jewish Mother and the Arab Mother, composer Sheli Nan calls for reconciliation between Arabic and Jewish peoples, drawing from the biblical story of Sarah and Hagar in a dramatic work for string quartet and two voices.
Today, Sheli is our featured artist in “The Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers.
Read on to learn about her experience seeing Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland live, and her hopes for SARAH AND HAGAR…
What are your biggest inspirations?
My biggest inspiration is to share this gift that I’ve been given. Music is a language and its meaning is shared by all who listen to it.
What’s the greatest performance you’ve ever seen, and what made it special?
The greatest concert I ever saw took place under the stars in Central Park in New York City.
I was 15 years old and sat on a blanket quite close to the stage. I’d been going to concerts and opera for many years because my parents were dedicated music lovers.
Yet, this concert under the stars became my most profound influence. Leonard Bernstein was conducting the New York Philharmonic with Aaron Copland at the piano. They performed his Piano Concerto, and he played the Cuban Dances as well.
I finally got IT! I went home that night and cried and cried. The next day I bought the album and for many years I played it in my room on my record player for only myself, and very occasionally, those I loved.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
I only wish I could have collaborated with Michael Tilson Thomas, Nicolas Mcgegan, Donald Runnicles, and many other brilliant conductors.
How can a composer contribute to peace in our fractured world today?
SARAH AND HAGAR, The Reconciliation of the Jewish Mother and the Arab Mother, is my way of including every Mother and Grandmother in the peace process. It is imperative that we take our place in the world today and sing our truth!