Echoes of Eureka
World Premiere of a New Opera Bridging History and Hope
Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir will proudly present the world premiere of Echoes of Eureka, a powerful seven-movement opera by Artistic Director, Eric Tuan, at the Making History Concert on April 12, 2025. This powerful new work brings to life a pivotal chapter of California’s history, shedding light on the struggles and resilience of Chinese immigrants in the 19th century. Echoes of Eureka emerges as a timely piece, resonating with contemporary conversations on justice, inclusion, and belonging.
Echoes of Eureka follows the true story of Charley Wei Lum, a young Chinese immigrant who arrived in 1880s California and settled in Eureka, a thriving redwood logging town that housed the largest Chinese community in the state outside of San Francisco. During the height of the Gilded Age—a period of deep economic inequality and rising anti-immigrant sentiment—Charley and his community faced devastating violence. In 1885, an angry mob expelled Eureka’s 300 Chinese residents, forcing them onto a steamship bound for San Francisco. Charley narrowly escaped lynching thanks to a compassionate clergyman. In the aftermath, the exiled Chinese community took the unprecedented step of filing a federal lawsuit—the first known attempt at seeking reparations in U.S. history. The ways they fought back included several foundational Supreme Court cases, including Wong Kim Ark, which established the basis for birthright citizenship.
Composer Eric Tuan reflects, "I first heard this story in a book called Driven Out by historian Jean Pfaelzer, which documents the hundreds of anti-Chinese deportations and lynchings that took place in California. Currently, I am finishing up the seven-movement opera, narrating the story in collaboration with Jean Pfaelzer, fellow historian Alex Service, and Humboldt Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity. We’re very grateful to have received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the opera and will be presenting the world premiere at our Making History Concert on April 12, followed by performances in Eureka itself on May 2, 3, and 4. The resonances with our national life are striking, and I hope you’ll attend one of the performances."
Click here or watch the video below to see Eric introducing the opera and a recording of the first movement,
This is the Story of Charley Wei, recorded at PEBCC’s Winter Concert in January 2025.
Who Will You Be?
Upcoming Echoes of Eureka Performances:
April 12, 2025 – Making History Concert.
The official world premiere of the complete opera!
7:30 PM
First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley: 2407 Dana Street, Berkeley, CA, 94704.
May 2, 2025 - Cal Poly Humboldt
7:00 PM at the Native American Forum
In Collaboration with Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Cal Poly Humboldt
May 3, 2025 - Eureka Chinatown Street Festival
6:00 PM in front of the Clarke Historical Museum
In Collaboration with Humboldt Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity
May 4, 2025 – Morris Graves Museum of Art
1:00 PM
In Collaboration with the Morris Graves Museum of Art and Humboldt Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity
Join us for this momentous occasion and witness how music can illuminate history while speaking to today’s urgent struggles for justice and inclusion.
