Houston Grand Opera's The Refuge

Charles Ward in the Houston Chronicle writes about The Refuge, a new oratorio that premiered in Houston on November 10. Written by librettist Leah Lax and composer Christopher Theofanidis, The Refuge chronicles the stories of immigrants from various communities to the Houston area. Kudos to the Houston Grand Opera for commissioning, developing, and premiering a new oratorio that takes the immigrant experience as its central subject matter at a time when public policy in the United States seems increasingly unfavorable to those who have recently arrived.