A concert in which three generations come together through the arts to show the resilience of the human spirit in inhuman conditions.
Holy Blossom Temple in partnership with the Fondazione Istituto di Letteratura Musicale Concentrazionaria and iConcerti Classical Artist Management presents a concert of music rescued from the darkness of the Holocaust and performed to inspire the future.
The concert, on Wednesday November 6th at Holy Blossom Temple, during Toronto’s Holocaust Education Week, brings together internationally acclaimed Maestro Francesco Lotoro, pianist, performer, and founder of the Orchestra Musica Judaica and the Istituto di Lettatura Musicale Concentrazionaria with Cantor Benjamin Z. Maissner, renowned performer and cantor of Holy Blossom Temple, along with accomplished local musicians Moshe Hammer (violin) and Igor Gefter (cellist), and a youth ensemble.
The event promises to be special and emotional. Three generations of performers will convey music of lost composers of the era – including the “Victory March” from the children’s opera Brundibar, music from the Cantor’s own uncle, Israel Alter, distinguished as the last chief cantor of Hanover Germany, and music from across Europe researched and saved by MAESTRO FRANCESCO LOTORO.
FRANCESCO LOTORO is an Italian pianist and musicologist who conceived the project of collecting and recording all piano music produced during World War II. He created the CD ENCYCLOPEDIA KZ MUSIK (48 CD volumes) containing all of the music composed in concentration camps during World War II in Europe, North Africa and Asia. He is recognized internationally for his profound research and collection of this music and has been celebrated in documentaries, television and radio.
The body of music performed in MUSIC AND ART: LIVING MEMORY is of the era of the Holocaust and was born in prison and transit camps, forced work camps, concentration and death camps, and in memories of the past and memorials to the future. In addition to participating in the chamber music, CANTOR BENJAMIN Z. MAISSNER himself will also perform selections from Cantor Israel Alter’s repertoire. Alter was known as the cantor’s cantor who fled Germany in 1935 because of rising antisemitism. Over his 40 years at Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple, Cantor Maissner has been instrumental in preserving the cantorial musical heritage of Alter and others.
Holy Blossom youth and congregants are assembling a special memorial for that night through music and visual art. Young people will perform the final “Victory March” of the children’s opera BRUNDIBAR, by Hans Krasa (a composer
murdered in the Holocaust) and sung in the Terezin ghetto more than 50 times. Artist Eva Ormut and Beth Roher have developed 4 metallic Gates of Memory, fashioned with images and objects representing family histories of Holy
Blossom’s religious school students and congregants.
This moving and extraordinary concert is part of the year-long celebrations of Cantor Maissner’s rich contributions to Holy Blossom Temple’s musical life, to the Jewish musical history of Toronto, and to his worldwide impact.
Holy Blossom Temple presents MUSIC AND ART: LIVING MEMORY, a concert in which generations show through the arts the resilience of the human spirit in inhuman conditions, on WEDNESDAY EVENING 7 PM. HOLY BLOSSOM TEMPLE is located at 1950 Bathurst St., Toronto. Admission is free but registration is required at www.holyblossom.org/Beny2020.
PARTNERS INCLUDE:
· Foundation, Istituto Di Letteratura Musicale Concentrazionaria
· Intergea Production
· iConcerti (Antonio Signoroni)
· Istituto Italiano di Cultura
· The Leo Baeck Day School
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS EVENT:
iConcerti
Antonio Signoroni asignoroni@sympatico.ca 1-647-201-9776
MEDIA CONTACT:
Deanna Levy
Director of Communications and marketing Holy Blossom Temple dlevy@Holyblossom.org
416 – 789 – 3291 X246