Our Mission
The Refugee Orchestra Project attempts--through music--to demonstrate the vitally important role that refugees from across the globe have played in our country's culture and society.
Our Inspiration
ROP was first organized in 2016 as a way to unite refugee musicians, raise awareness, and raise funds for those fleeing the Syrian refugee crisis. Since then, the organization has grown to produce regular high-profile performances, including collaborations in London with London Symphony Orchestra/St. Luke’s, in DC with Gourmet Symphony featuring members of the National Symphony Orchestra, and a UN Day performance at the United Nations with Indian musical legend Amjad Ali Khan. ROP’s work has been featured on CNN, NowThis, Good Morning America, AFP, Al Jazeera, and more.
The project was conceived by conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, who realized in the wake of the Syrian refugee crisis that many of her own closest colleagues and friends were not aware that she and so many like her had come to the U.S. as refugees. Due to the traumatic nature of their experience, refugees are often hesitant to speak openly about their history, and it is common for many to be unaware that their neighbors, coworkers, and friends have been taken in by the United States as refugees at a time of crisis. ROP fights assumptions and stereotypes by featuring world-class, professional refugee musicians, performing music by refugee composers, including composers from across the world living today and refugee composers of the past. We perform in a variety of configurations, including large-scale concerts with full orchestra, chorus, and soloists, and chamber performances in smaller contexts. Most of our concerts include partnerships with musicians in the communities we visit. ROP also supports an Artist in Residence, whom the organization commissions for collaborative projects that support that artist’s vision and regularly features in performances.
The project was conceived by conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, who realized in the wake of the Syrian refugee crisis that many of her own closest colleagues and friends were not aware that she and so many like her had come to the U.S. as refugees. Due to the traumatic nature of their experience, refugees are often hesitant to speak openly about their history, and it is common for many to be unaware that their neighbors, coworkers, and friends have been taken in by the United States as refugees at a time of crisis. ROP fights assumptions and stereotypes by featuring world-class, professional refugee musicians, performing music by refugee composers, including composers from across the world living today and refugee composers of the past. We perform in a variety of configurations, including large-scale concerts with full orchestra, chorus, and soloists, and chamber performances in smaller contexts. Most of our concerts include partnerships with musicians in the communities we visit. ROP also supports an Artist in Residence, whom the organization commissions for collaborative projects that support that artist’s vision and regularly features in performances.