MOR to Stream Heggie’s Violin of Hope Cycle

Readers may recall that February of 2020 was the month devoted to the Violins of Hope project. The name referred to a priceless collection of instruments recovered from the Holocaust era, meticulously restored through the efforts of Amnon Weinstein and his son Avshalom, both Israeli luthiers. Many of these instruments were displayed in a well-organized exhibit on the ground floor of the Veterans Building. Some of them were included in a series of concert performances, two of which took place in San Francisco, one in the Koret Auditorium of the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library and the other in Davies Symphony Hall during a Chamber Music Series concert presented by members of the San Francisco Symphony.

The concert series also included the world premiere of Intonations: Songs from the Violins of Hope, composed by Jake Heggie with a libretto prepared by Gene Scheer. This work was commissioned by Music at Kohl Mansion, and that performance also included Violins of Hope instruments. Subsequent performances were scheduled for the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco and Benaroya Hall in Seattle, the latter under the auspices of Music of Remembrance (MOR). Neither of these performances took place due to pandemic restrictions, but MOR prepared a video which will be made available for streaming at the beginning of next month.

Instrumentalists Mikhail Shmidt, Artur Girsky, Elizabeth Phelps, Zoe Lonsinger, Walter Gray, and Susan Gulkis Assadi and mezzo Laura Krumm (from the event page for the performance being discussed)

The work is scored for a small string ensemble and mezzo. The vocalist for the video is Laura Krumm. The instrumentalists are led by violinist Mikhail Shmidt, one of two soloists, the other being Zoe Lonsinger. The remainder of the group is a string quartet whose members are violinists Artur Girsky and Elizabeth Phelps, violist Susan Gulkis Assadi, and cellist Walter Gray.

The video will be made available for streaming on August 1. Tickets for this performance will be $30. Ticket-holders will be given on-demand access for one week. An event page has been created for this offering, and beginning on August 1, it will serve as the gateway for purchases. The site will be available through August 31.