Hickory – Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, and the Catawba Valley Interfaith Council (CVIC), present a Community Conversation about the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States, particularly here in the Catawba Valley.
Every faith around the world has a message about welcoming the strangers in our midst. This evening will shed a new light on the stories of the immigrants and refugees in our community by lifting up their stories to the world and encouraging respectful discourse in a Q & A. Bookended by solo cello performances by Sam Magill, Western Piedmont Symphony Acting Principal Cello, the evening’s speakers include immigrants from around the world who came to the Hickory area, their backgrounds, and what brought them to the Catawba Valley. Maestro Matthew Troy will moderate the panel and introduce our guests.
This conversation will culminate with the Masterworks: The New Colossus concert with the Western Piedmont Symphony on Saturday, April 22. The program’s musical common thread is our shared immigrant story. The concert features world-renowned violinist Kinga Augustyn performing the Violin Concerto in D Major op.35, by Erich Korngold, as well as Voices Shouting Out, composed by 2021 Guggenheim Fellow Nkeiru Okoye, and the multimedia work Ellis Island: The Dream for America by Peter Boyer.
WHAT: Community Conversation: Welcoming the Stranger
WHEN: Thursday, April 13, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Belk Centrum at Lenoir-Rhyne University, 625 7th Ave. NE, Hickory, NC 28601
MORE INFO: Free admission. Tickets for the April 22 Masterworks concert will be available for purchase at the Community Conversation event. For more information, visit wpsymphony.org.
Support for Community Conversation is made possible by a grant from Corning Incorporated Foundation.
