A message from conductor
Karen P. Thomas

We’re so glad to have you join us for The Way Home. Our goal with this program is to honor America’s multicultural heritage and foster respect for all persons and groups, especially immigrants and refugees. While the war in Ukraine is top of mind for many right now, this is sadly only one of many refugee crises that deserve our attention and compassion, even if they don’t all make headlines.

A centerpiece of this program is To the Hands by Pulitzer Prize–winner Caroline Shaw. It’s a work that I’ve wanted to perform for years, and it speaks compellingly to the refugee experience. Another is Saunder Choi’s Welcome Table, a piece we recently co-commissioned but were delayed in premiering due to Covid. The text is based on the composer’s own struggles to overcome the many barriers erected by the US immigration system, and it was thus a natural fit for this concert.

With these two pieces as anchors, I was led to many more beautiful and powerful works—indeed, too many to program in one concert. I found pieces by other trailblazing young composers like Chris Hutchings, Derrick Skye, Tarik O’Regan, and Melissa Dunphy. Songs from the 14th and 15th centuries remind us how refugee crises have always been a part of our history. Works by Reginald Unterseher and Stephen Paulus round out the concert and express the hope that our hearts will open to welcome those in need of refuge.

We hope that our performances will open your hearts to consider the role we all can play in creating a safe harbor for those in need, no matter how they may come to our door.

Sincerely,

Karen P. Thomas
Artistic Director and Conductor