Upcoming: The Golden Door: an American immigrant song cycle at Seattle Center and Seattle Open Arts Place

This summer in Seattle, a full cast, accompanied by live music, will bring to life stories of immigration from real people in our communities. I hope you can join us!

Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 2PM

At The Armory Stage at Seattle Center | FREE

Friday, July 18, 2025 at 7:30PM

Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 7:30PM

Sunday, July 20, 2025 at 2PM

At Seattle Open Arts Place | Ticket link live soon!

About the project:

Originally workshopped at Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain, as part of Shaudi's thesis project and later performed as a solo piece in autumn 2024 at Inscape Arts as a culmination of Shaudi’s time as Artist in Residence there, The Golden Door draws from a series of interviews conducted by Shaudi with people who identify as members of a BIPOC immigrant community in the US, who want to share their stories. Using these interviews, historical documents, and her own identity as a second generation Iranian-American, Shaudi has crafted a series of songs which will be performed together as a song cycle honoring, exploring, and finding joy in these diverse tales of coming to the US.

The free performance at Seattle Center is made possible by the Artists at the Center program, sponsored by the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Kraken, and Climate Pledge Arena, with assistance from Program Community Partners Seattle Center Programs & Events and Uptown Arts and Culture Coalition. 

Learn about the other 2025 Artists at the Center here!

The July performances are a co-production with Seattle Open Arts Place.

Composer in Concert: The Golden Door: an American immigrant song cycle

Please note: This performance has passed.

What:

Experience an evening of music, storytelling, and oral history as composer and songwriter Shaudi Bianca Vahdat presents a solo version of her new project, The Golden Door: an American immigrant song cycle.

This intimate performance marks the culmination of Shaudi’s Inscape Arts residency, offering you the chance to be among the first to hear these songs in a casual setting before the project receives a full-cast performance in Seattle Center as part of the Artists at the Center program this spring.

Originally workshopped at Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain, as part of Shaudi's thesis project, The Golden Door draws from a series of interviews conducted by Shaudi with people who identify as members of a BIPOC immigrant community in the US, who want to share their stories. Using these interviews, historical documents, and her own identity as a second generation Iranian-American, Shaudi has crafted a series of songs which will be performed together as a song cycle honoring, exploring, and finding joy in these diverse tales of coming to the US.

The historical venue of Inscape, which from 1932-2004 served as Seattle’s detention and processing center for immigrants, adds another layer of emotion and history to the performance.

The music draws from American folk and jazz traditions while staying deeply connected to musical theatre. Each song is told from the point of view of a different character, each based on a real interviewee. Expect humor, heartbreak, and true stories of creating a life in the US.