Commissioned by the San Gabriel Valley Symphony, Elegy for Monterey Park is a deeply personal tribute by composer Aidan Vass to the victims of the 2023 Lunar New Year mass shooting. Though born and raised in Thousand Oaks—another city forever changed by a mass shooting—Vass calls the San Gabriel Valley his second home, drawing emotional and artistic inspiration from the community’s strength and cultural richness.
The work unfolds with quiet dignity, blending intimate textures with poignant lyricism to offer space for reflection, mourning, and ultimately, healing. It stands as both a remembrance of lives lost and a testament to the resilience of Monterey Park and the broader AAPI community.
Aidan Vass (b. 2003) is an American composer. His music has been performed in venues such as Cammilleri Hall at USC and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
