Between War and Here Tickets

Between War and Here is a compelling collaboration that fuses music, poetry, and memoir to illuminate veterans’ experiences. Born from a partnership between Ensemble Galilei and NPR correspondents Neal Conan and Anne Garrels, the project weaves Carolyn Surrick’s poetry with narrative storytelling to create an intimate, multimedia performance. The first major presentation took place at Soka University in California on November 2, 2018, marking a poignant entry into a broader exploration of memory, home, and healing.

Ensemble Galilei, a Washington, DC-based ensemble formed in 1990, blends classical, Celtic, and traditional music with multimedia storytelling. The collaboration has been part of a broader wave of projects that bring together music and narrative, earning recognition across national platforms from National Geographic’s First Person and The Met’s First Person series. The project’s impact is reflected in regional honors like Washington, DC’s WAMMIE award for Best Chamber Ensemble in 1994, acknowledging the ensemble’s depth and influence in the area.

Looking ahead, the collaboration continues to evolve. In 2025, Ensemble Galilei released There I Long to Be, a two-CD set on Sono Luminus, marking their 16th recording and expanding their discography. Release concerts were announced for Chicago, St. Louis, Boston, Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington, DC, signaling ongoing engagement with diverse audiences and new interpretive layers for the Between War and Here material.

For fans and newcomers alike, Between War and Here offers an approachable, insightful entry into a nuanced conversation about veterans’ experiences through a blend of music, narration, and poetry. To follow updates and explore more about the performers and their projects, visit the ensemble’s official site and social profiles.