A Fundraiser for Berkshire Immigrant Center, West Stockbridge Historical Society and Berkshire Theatre Group

The New Immigrant Experience, the remarkable release by composer Felipe Salles, is a powerful multimedia work inspired by the lives of “Dreamers,” the almost 700,000 individuals currently protected by DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Written by Salles who emigrated from Brazil to the United States in 1995 and developed with the aid of a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship, the work uses speech cadences and melodic motifs based on key words as its main source of musical material. The compelling and personal stories this work tells were collected through interviews Salles conducted with a group of nine “Dreamers” during the summer of 2018. It’s an emotional musical journey through beautiful orchestral textures, carefully developed motifs and intense solo features, that combine the power of a big band recording and the dramatic landscape of a soundtrack. The New Immigrant Experience is the perfect vehicle to contribute to the discussion regarding the place and value of immigrants in America during these turbulent political times.

The West Stockbridge Historical Society is partnering with the Berkshire Immigrant Center and the Berkshire Theatre Group to bring The New Immigrant Experience, performed by the full 18-piece ensemble, to Berkshire County. Proceeds from the event will also benefit each of the hosting organizations. This performance is more than a music concert that touches on one of the most politically fraught issues of our time; it is a chance to celebrate and shine a spotlight on the positive contributions that the Berkshire immigrant community makes to enhancing the quality of life in the county. There are over 10,000 immigrants living in Berkshire County. In countless and often unseen and undervalued ways, the Berkshire immigrant community makes a significant contribution to improving the quality of life for all of us. The money raised through concert ticket sales, sponsor donations, and local business ad sales, will provide the funding that ensures the local immigrant population can participate in the evening’s festivities.