voices from the Holocaust, remembered
During the Holocaust, many prominent Jewish composers’ lives and careers were cut short in their prime. Their music was banned and they had to abandon their homes and emigrate in order to survive. Tragically, many were shipped off to concentration camps where they were murdered. These composers were stripped of all possible advantages. As a result, their music often fell into obscurity. For my Doctoral dissertation, I explored the lives and works of six of these composers: Hans Gál, Hans Krása, Gideon Klein, Erwin Schulhoff, James Simon, and Alexander Zemlinsky.
Over the course of three recitals I performed repertoire from these six composers. Through my performance and research I considered how these composers were affected both personally and musically, and how they responded to their circumstances. Each of these composers has a completely unique voice and musical style. It is impossible to determine if these selected works would have been well-known and respected today had these composers not been affected by the Holocaust, but I believe that they would have. This music, full of passion, rhythmic energy, rich harmonies, and beautiful melodies, deserves a chance to resonate with audiences. By continuing this project I hope to illuminate the lives of these composers, promote this compelling music, and bring some measure of justice to the tragedy of lives and careers cut short by the Holocaust.
EXPLORE THE COMPOSERS