Milad Yousufi, Gity Razaz, Errollyn Wallen on the Program 
as Refugee Orchestra Project Makes its UK Debut on September 1!

We are thrilled to announce that we'll be kicking off our season, under the direction of Lidiya Yankovskaya, by making our UK debut in September, 2019 at LSO St Luke's in London.

​Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen MBE will perform her Concerto Grosso with the Orchestra. The Orchestra will also play "Freedom" by Afghan composer Milad Yousufi, "Metamorphosis" by Iranian-American composer Gity Razaz, Bartók's "Romanian Folk Dances" and a medley by renowned composer, lyricist and American cultural icon Irving Berlin. Additionally, the Orchestra will perform "The Wind" from "Wuthering Heights" by the Tony and Grammy award-winning composer of "Les Miserables" and "Miss Saigon," Claude-Michel Schönberg – himself the son of Hungarian-Jewish refugees.

​The orchestra will be joined by Elise Caluwaerts, soprano, John Mills, violinist and Chi-chi Nwanoko, double bassist.  

All proceeds from the concert will go to the charity Refugee Action, whose team help refugees build safe, hopeful, and productive new lives in the UK.

The Refugee Orchestra Project (ROP) brings together instrumentalists and singers whose friends and families have fled to this country to escape violence and persecution in performances that loudly proclaim these individuals' importance to our cultural wealth.
VIDEO: Collaborative Project with Papel & Caneta - RefugeesAre.Us
VIDEO: CGTN America (April 2017)
CONCERT CLIP: Do Yeon Kim plays Changiparangga for solo gayageum at ROP's March 2018 concert
CONCERT CLIP: Refugee Orchestra Project performs Milad Yousufi's Freedom 


​FROM OUR MUSICIANS

Elisa Nikoloulias, soprano
"This resonates so deeply as a artist and as a great granddaughter of a war survivor. My great grandmother was in the Armenian holocaust and a death march survivor. My great grandfather was shot during the march. My great grandmother sewed some of her most precious jewelry into her dress somehow kept my grandmother and great uncles alive during the march. They made it to the U.S. and as my grandmother grew older, she started to open up about "the old country" and stories her mother told her. It was heartbreaking and empowering to know the strength of the women in my family. They did whatever it took to keep their family safe. Keep up the social justice work."
Daniel Kamalic, tenor
​My late father and his friend, in their teens, fled Communist Yugoslavia in a sailboat with the sails painted black, almost drowning when the boat sank in the middle of a storm. They were picked up by an Italian freighter and lived in a refugee camp in Italy before coming to America for a better life. I [am] proud to sing for this project.
Carl Courant, cello
"My personal connection comes from both parents having fled Europe in the ‘30s as children. They can recount the "old days” in Germany and Lithuania but never convey the emotional toll of forced dislocation, and those caught up in the current crisis have it immeasurably worse."
Vedrana Kalas, soprano
​​​"I emigrated to the US 16 years ago with my family. The war itself and the aftermath of the war in Bosnia took a toll on our well being in our home country, so we took refuge. This project would give me a part in being an ambassador for what this type of refuge means to so many people who have gone through similar hardship." 
Victoria Graves, alto
"I joined the Orchestra Refugee Project as one of the chorus members...because I wanted to help the cause, but I had no idea how much that concert would impact me. After listening to such beautiful and inspiring music, I want and feel the need to be far more involved in the refugee crisis, which I easily can do thanks to the information shared that evening as well."
Mary St. Laurent-Sheehan, trumpet
"My grandfather emigrated from Lisbon, Portugal alone at the age of 14, as his parents had decided to send him to seminary. My grandmother's siblings and parents emigrated from Sao Miguel Azores, Portugal for a better life in America. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be born here in the United States and to participate in this wonderful cause."


​FEATURED AID ORGANIZATIONS

IRC: I Left Everything
As the conflict in Syria escalates, millions have been forced to flee, leaving behind precious memories of home. Learn more at Rescue.org
​HIAS: For the Refugee
There are places where being who you are is a punishable offense. There are places where you might be sentenced to death because you chose to live. These places have many names. But the ones who flee, have one. Refugee.
Junghwa Park, soprano
"I am from South Korea. Human rights in North Korea are severely limited, and North Koreans are trying to escape every day. I have heard lots of tragic stories from people who escaped from North Korea, and it is really painful to listen the stories because we are the same "Korean". We use the same alphabet, the same language. Even though there are some differences in expression of sentences or words, we do have numerous things in common such as same traditional folk songs. I thought this would be a good opportunity to share our country's tragic story and to have healing time through music."
Ian Pomeranz, bass-baritone
"All eight of my great-grandparents were refugees fleeing either political violence or religious/ethnic persecution. Without the support they received in the United States, I would not be alive. I owe my existence to those who helped refugees in the first half of the 20th century."
Orchestra Member
"My grandparents were Holocaust survivors who came to Australia by boat as refugees in 1946."
Maya Mapuana, mezzo-soprano
"Borders are a man made thing. We are all humans trying to decipher our way through this world, and I believe we should be as open and loving to each other as we can. As long as you're not hurting others, I don't see why you can't be invited to the game."
Orchestra Member
"My grandparents on both sides of my family (Russia and Poland) escaped the pogroms at the turn of the century. We must honor the rights of all human beings to live their lives with freedom, dignity, and opportunity!"
Barbara Quintiliani, soprano (soloist)
"As Massachusetts's very own Leonard Bernstein said: 'This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.' This means so much now more than ever. Though I am not directly effected by this crisis, as a member of the human race I believe we are, in fact, our brother's keeper. I am deeply moved by this extraordinary effort and I hope that we can work together to make some extraordinary music to at least try to ease the heavy burden that so many are carrying."
Eri Isomura, percussionist
​"This project is a way for individual audience members to connect with others on a deeper level through a communal musical experience. As a performer, I am inspired to connect with people through meaningful art to raise awareness of the needs around their communities. I recently commissioned a marimba solo titled "Samaritan", which is a composition based on the value of helping strangers, even if they may be enemies. The premiere was in a solo benefit recital this past January that raised over a thousand dollars for a charity aiding Syrian refugees residing in Jordan. I find it pure joy to see people of different backgrounds come together and end up with a larger view of the world."
Erin Merceruio Nelson, soprano
"So many of our lives have been touched by refugees. I am so lucky to have been born in the United States and have the opportunities this country has to offer. We are all immigrants. I believe everyone should have the chance to live in the world of freedom. It is our job to take care of one another. Personally, my undergraduate voice teacher came to the US from Georgia in 1989. She helped me grow into a serious artist and showed me how to care for my body as an instrument. I welcome the chance to support this important visibility effort for refugees all over the world."
Betsy Bobo, mezzo-soprano
"I had a personal experience in an airport terminal with an entire extended family fleeing Somalia several years ago. I sang to the Children, who were fascinated and interested to see what letters I wrote while singing ABCD etc. - this all took place because all of us were delayed. The mother knew a bit of English and was anxious for her children to learn and also sing back to me. I'm struck by the courage it takes to flee oppression and humbled to offer anything to honor these brave, desperate people."
Mauri Tetreault, mezzo-soprano
"There is so much negativity, fear, and hate running this world. This project is a way to send the message that there are kind people in the world, and we can all get together to create something magical."
Logo designed by Fernando Marar and Marcelo Almeida of Papel & Caneta. Fonts used on this website include typefaces courtesy of Swiss Typefaces. 

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