Virginia Opera: Sanctuary Road at Center for the Arts at George Mason University

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2. Virginia Opera: Sanctuary Road

In a pledge to nurture the next generation of gifted artists creating new opera experiences,
Virginia Opera is thrilled to introduce audiences to the contemporary opera Sanctuary Road by
composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell. Based on the life and writings of William
Still, an African American leader on the Underground Railroad who helped more than 800
enslaved people escape to freedom, Sanctuary Road distills and dramatizes the stories from
Still’s book. Interviewing the men and women he helped find passage north, Still kept careful
records, including a brief biography and the destination for each, along with any alias they had
adopted. Moravec and Campbell transformed these daring stories of courage, perseverance, and
sacrifice into an enthralling historical oratorio. Sanctuary Road received its world premiere
staging in 2020 at Carnegie Hall in New York—a performance praised by Broadway World for
its “riveting, pulsating wall of sound [and] stellar soloists.” The music for this production is
provided by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Sung in English with English surtitles.