The ‘Souvenirs’ concert, presented by Stephenson|Gan, is a celebration of cultural and musical diversity. As an international duo, Stephenson|Gan strives to pursue a wide range of repertoire, championing the music of different cultures, and the ‘Souvenirs’ program is the manifestation of this duo’s vision. While this program represents Stephenson|Gan’s musical goals, the purpose of the ‘Souvenirs’ project is threefold: to celebrate diversity in music, to promote inter-arts collaboration, and to engage an audience of underprivileged members of society.

‘Souvenirs’ is a traveler’s tale. In a survey of the world’s composers, Stephenson|Gan shares with its audience mementos from France to Malaysia to Peru, and more. The final souvenir from this musical journey is a piece inspired by the place that the duo calls home: Tallahassee, Florida. In selecting their repertoire, Stephenson|Gan sought to discover some of the hidden gems in non-Western music, celebrating musical diversity with the wide cultural scope of the program and featuring the work of composers from various backgrounds. One of the two female composers whose work is featured on the program, Shao Fern Teo, a Malaysian composer and FSU alumnus, has been commissioned to write a piece for the duo. The work will receive its Tallahassee premiere at this concert and is one of three pieces on the program that have been written in the past fifteen years.