Event to feature 16 violins recovered and restored from the Holocaust
The Jacksonville Symphony will present “Violins of Hope,” a concert featuring 16 violins recovered and restored from The Holocaust on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 at 8 p.m. in Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall in the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.
The Jacksonville Symphony will be conducted by Associate Conductor Nathan Aspinall. Guest artists are violinist Alexi Kenney and symphony Principal Cellist Alexei Romanenko. The program will include Bach’s “Sarabande” from Partita No. 2 in D minor, Mendelssohn’s “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage,” Bruch’s “Kol Nidre” and Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Wieniawski’s “Polonaise brillante No. 2” in A major and Maher’s “Symphony No.” 5 in C-sharp minor.
The concert will be presented in collaboration with the “Anne Frank: A History for Today” exhibit to be on display at the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) in January and February. That exhibit will form the centerpiece Voices of Hope, a local community initiative designed to give voice to the millions that were silenced.
“We are honored to participate in this community initiative that gives voice to the many who were silenced,” Symphony President and CEO Robert Massey said.
International series
The “Violins of Hope” international series of concerts was started by Israeli luthier Amnon Weinstein, who in 1996 was asked to restore a violin that had been played by a man interred in one of World War II’s concentration camps. Weinstein – whose parents fled Europe in 1938 only to learn later of the deaths of more than 400 relatives – felt compelled to bring the violin back to life. After restoring the first violin, he actively sought out other violins that had been played in concentration camp orchestras. There are now 30 violins that have been restored.
A special 6 p.m. pre-concert reception will feature Weinstein and symphony musicians in a musical/historical presentation. VIP tickets – which include the reception and premium concert seating – are $100 for symphony members and $125 for non-members. Non-premium concert tickets range from $22 to $6. For tickets or more information, call (904) 354-5547 or visit jaxsymphony.org.
