Violins of Hope

The ‘Violins of Hope’ is a collection of string instruments that have been collected since the Second World War. Some of them were played in concentration camps, some were formerly owned by expelled or murdered Jewish musicians, some are decorated with a Star of David.

‘They all have one thing in common: they are symbols of hope and a way of saying: remember me, remember us.’ (Amnon Weinstein)

Amnon Weinstein passed away in March of this year and his son Avshalom continues to run the workshop in Tel Aviv

In cooperation with the Weinstein violin-making workshop in Tel Aviv, two violins from the ‘Violins of Hope’ collection will be brought to Austria in autumn 2024, if the situation in Israel and Gaza allows. They will be on display in the former synagogue in Kobersdorf as part of the concert and will be played by selected pupils from the music school.

Participants include pupils and teachers from the Oberpullendorf and Deutschkreutz music schools. Works by Fritz Kreisler, Carl Goldmark, Dimitri Shostakovich, Joseph Joachim and Ernest Bloch will be performed. There will also be music by Leonard Cohen, Klezmer music and the moving ‘Theme’ from ‘Schindler's List’ by John Williams.

Participating teachers are the musicians: Sarah Molnar (vocals, violoncello and arrangements), Martin Kocsis (violin, viola, conducting string ensemble and arrangements), Julian Yo Hedenborg (piano), Andreas Kocsis (violoncello).

The concert will honour the Burgenland Jewish violinists and composers Maurus Knapp and Joseph Joachim and commemorate the recently deceased Amnon Weinstein.

Reservation of tickets is required! By email to: musikgedenkschule@aon.at

About Maurus Knapp: As part of the project, an attempt will be made to locate Maurus Knapp's violin, which disappeared from the Kittsee Ethnographic Museum in Burgenland and has been missing since the museum was closed, and to draw attention to it.

The event is organised by the Oberpullendorf/Deutschkreutz music schools and the shalom.nachbar initiative in Lockenhaus in cooperation with the HAK Oberpullendorf (HAK website: musikgedenkschule.com).

Violins of HOPE

Tuesday, 22 October 2024, start 6.00 pm

Admission 17.30 only with ticket reservation

This is the third concert in the Musik.Gedenk.Schule series of events in the former synagogue in Kobersdorf. With this event, we hope to contribute to the success of peace and understanding.’ (R.P.)