The Strangers' Case @ Jordan Hall

Featuring Karim Sulayman, voice

Musical Program

Mary Kouyoumdjian | Tagh [Diary] of an Immigrant
George Frideric Handel | Set of Arias for Tenor
Antonín Dvořák | Nocturne in B major, Op. 40
Karim Al-Zand | The Strangers’ Case for Tenor and String Orchestra

In a world increasingly shaped by migration and displacement, A Far Cry closes the season with a meditation on empathy and belonging. Curated by violinist Jesse Irons and featuring GRAMMY® Award-winning tenor Karim Sulayman, The Strangers’ Case traces the lives and legacies of those who cross borders—voluntarily or by force—in search of safety, identity, and home.

Mary Kouyoumdjian’s Tagh [Diary] of an Immigrant offers an imagined journal entry from a hope-filled soul, pushing hungrily toward immigration. Handel’s intimate tenor arias remind us that longing and love transcend time. Dvořák’s tender Nocturne offers a moment of solace—a lyrical breath between journeys. In Karim Al-Zand’s searing The Strangers’ Case — named after Shakespeare’s monologue defending the displaced — Sulayman and the Criers bring to life this new song cycle for voice and string orchestra, with texts drawn from poems, personal accounts, and other reflections on American immigrant journeys.