Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra is announcing events for its “We Are One: Hope” festival (Oct. 19 to Oct. 25) following the arrival of the 12-foot-tall puppet, Little Amal, in Cincinnati last month. Arabic for Hope, “Amal” is a puppet of a 10-year old Syrian refugee.

We Are One: Hope will promote the works and stories of those living in our region who came to the United States as immigrants, refugees, or displaced persons.

“Our goal is to be a leader in the music industry when it comes to using our artform to have a direct, positive impact on members of our community,” says CCO Executive Director Evan Gidley.

Most of this year’s events will take place in Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods that many immigrants and refugees call home, including Price Hill, Westwood, Northside, and Covington, KY. Events will feature both an educational and musical component and will invite the audience to participate in a community chorus that will perform at the final concert on October 25. (Scroll down to view the full lineup.)

“We are thrilled to present the second annual We Are One festival as we offer a platform for conversations that highlight the rich, diverse makeup of Cincinnati. Music and arts have the power to spark dialogue and perhaps even help us reimagine how we can better advocate with and for our refugee, immigrant, and displaced communities,” says CCO Associate Conductor Daniel Parsley.

Visual artist Michael Thompson will be auctioning off a work created at last year’s We Are One festival with proceeds benefiting the CCO.

All festival events are free, but reservations are required and can be obtained by visiting the CCO website at ccocincinnati.org or by calling the CCO box office at 513.723.1182 x2. Tax-deductible donations to the CCO are welcome for those who are able to give in an effort to help keep programming accessible.

The collaborative project features community partners such as Cincinnati Compass, Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA, Ignite Peace, Maketank Inc., and Refugee Connect as well as musical partners including Coro Volante, MYCincinnati, Northern Kentucky University Choirs, Thomas More University Choral Activities, and Little Miami Select Choirs. Organizations serving Cincinnati’s immigrant or refugee communities are invited to exhibit at the opening conversation.

We Are One: Hope is made possible with support from the Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation and Ameritas.

Here’s the lineup:

Special Kickoff Event: Simple as Water Film Screening

Thursday, October 19, 2023 | 7:30pm | Esquire Theatre

Epic in scope, but intimate in feel, Simple As Water is a meditation on the elemental bonds between parent and child from Academy Award-winner Megan Mylan (Lost Boys of Sudan, Smile Pinki.) A masterful look at the impact of war, separation and displacement, Simple As Water takes us into Syrian families’ quests for normalcy and through the whirlwind of obstacles—to building life anew. Filmed in Turkey, Greece, Germany, Syria and the US, Mylan’s sensitive camera reifies the universal importance of family.

*Register directly on the Esquire Theatre’s website

 Share Your Story

Sunday, October 22, 2023 | 2-4:30pm | ARCO

All of us have a story to tell. Hear just a few stories from immigrants and refugees living in Cincinnati while seeking inspiration to share your own. Attendees will be given the opportunity to illustrate their story for a visual art project that will be presented at a later date. Several community partners will be present to present their resources for those in need.

Schedule

2-2:30pm Exhibition of Community Partners accompanied by MYCincinnati performers

2:30-2:40pm: Dr. Kate Currie of Maketank, Inc. introduction to “Share Your Story” drawing project

2:40-3:40pm: Panel moderated by Samantha Searls (Ignite Peace) with Mirsada Kadiric (Author, I Am a Refugee: Finding Home Again in America), Ibtisam Masto (Owner, Olive Tree Catering), and Alieu Nyassi (Executive Director, Operation Crossroads Africa).

3:40-4pm: Audience learning of “Take What You Need” by Reena Esmail to be performed on 10.25 as a community chorus

4-4:30pm: Exhibition of Community Partners continues

Register as an exhibiting organizations at no cost

Sanctuary

Sunday, October 22, 2023 | 7-8:30pm | St. Boniface Church

Pre-concert music provided by St. Boniface members: 6:30pm

Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra String Quartet; Northern Kentucky University Choirs; Katie Barton, Director of Choral Studies; Thomas More University Choral Activities; Joseph Taff, Director of Choral Activities

Inspiration from Andean folk musicians are present in Ariel Ramirez’s Misa Criolla and Gabriela Lena Frank’s Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout. Based on the Salve Regina text, To the Mothers in Brazil is a cry for help from those in need.

 GABRIELA LENA FRANK — Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout

 ARIEL RAMIREZ — Misa Criolla

 GUNNAR ERIKSSON– To the Mothers in Brazil

 Audience learning of “Take What You Need” by Reena Esmail to be performed on 10.25 as a community chorus

 Greater Cincinnati: A Home for All

Monday, October 23, 2023 | 6:30-8:30pm | Hellmann Creative Center

There is a rich history of immigration in the Greater Cincinnati region dating back to its settlement in 1788. Learn about the events that have made Cincinnati a home for diverse cultural expressions and learn how we can continue to preserve individual cultures and provide equitable access to all.

Schedule

6:30-7:15pm: Latin American popular/folks songs performed by Sonia Ivette Morales-Matos and friends

7:15-8:10pm: “History of Immigration in Cincinnati” presented by Alfonso Cornejo of Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA

8:10-8:30pm: Audience learning of “Take What You Need” by Reena Esmail to be performed on 10.25 as a community chorus

The Girl from Aleppo

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 | 6:30-8:30pm | St. Catharine of Siena Church

Dr. Katelin Webster; Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra String Quintet; Thomas More University Choral Activities; Joseph Taff, Director of Choral Activities; Little Miami Select Choirs; Sarah J. Baker, conductor

Music transcends crisis. Learn how musicians from Syria have come together to create one of the world’s top orchestras made up of refugees. Hear the incredible story of how one Syrian refugee made it to safety through a performance of Cecilia McDowall’s Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo featuring the We Are One Chorus.

Schedule

6:30-7:40pm: Dr. Katelin Webster presentation on the Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra featuring a performance of Suad Busnaq’s The Borrowed Dress by a CCO string quintet and Ken Bruton’s Rest by Little Miami Select Choirs

7:40-8:10pm: Cecilia McDowall’s Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo

8:10-8:30pm: Audience learning of “Take What You Need” by Reena Esmail to be performed on 10.25 as a community chorus

Asylum

Wednesday, October 25, 2023  | 7-8:15pm | Christ Church Cathedral

Preconcert Discussion with Dr. Maria Espinola: 6:15pm | CCC Chapel

Daniel Parsley, conductor & We Are One Artistic Director; Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra’; Coro Volante; Brett Scott and Krista Cornish Scott, Artistic Directors; Take What You Need Community Chorus; Sharon Huizinga, projection artist

Take courage. Take a stand, Take a breath. Take what you need. These are just a few words of encouragement as we seek an equitable society. The closing program of We Are One: Hope features you- a presentation of your artwork and your performance of Take What You Need by Reena Esmail. The entire program expresses a defeat of repression, a call towards justice for immigrants and refugees, and an open invitation to a better society.

SAUNDER CHOI– The New Colossus

JAMES MACMILLAN– Cantos Sagrados

GABRIELA LENA FRANK– Peregrinos

 JUDITH SHATIN — La Frontera

 CAROLINE SHAW– To the Hands

 JAN KRUTUL– Let Your Singing Transcend the Borders

 REENA ESMAIL– Take What You Need

For information and free ticket registration –

Call 513.723.1182 x2 or visit the CCO online at www.ccocincinnati.org