This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Berkenau Concentration Camp. Next week, East Tennesseans will have the opportunity to delve into the stories of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust in a more personal way.
Holocaust violins
The Violins of Hope project is returning to Knoxville with an exhibition, performances, school visits and lectures. As part of the project, Knox County Public Library is pleased to present Dr. James Grymes, author of “Violins of Hope: Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour” on Sunday, March 9, 2 p.m. at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The Violins of Hope project invites communities to reflect on survival, resilience and hope through a collection of over 50 violins that survived the Holocaust. In Dr. Grymes’ book, he recounts the extraordinary journeys of these violins that were once played by Jewish musicians – and of the Israeli violin maker devoted to restoring them. Each instrument holds a uniquely compelling and poignant story, interwoven with one man’s deeply personal struggle to reconcile his own family’s past with the larger history of his people.
The violins will be on exhibit at Digital Motif, 108 S. Gay Street, from March 3 – April 9. Each violin is accompanied by interactive displays that explore the musician’s story, the history of the Holocaust, and the role music played during that time. This exhibition is free and open to the public.
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will perform two concerts (March 5 and April 8) featuring the restored violins, giving voice to these historic instruments and the people who once played them.
We are grateful to Wanda and John Sobieski who made Dr. Grymes’s program possible.
Mary Pom Claiborne is assistant director for marketing, communications and development for Knox County Public Library.
