Violins of Hope is coming to the CUW campus!
In the midst of World War II as Germany battled across Europe, the Holocaust was taking place. Jewish prisoners and others targeted by the Nazis played violins in the ghettos and concentration camps. Many musicians were forced to play; others played them as a form of resistance.
During the Holocaust, as the Jewish people were dehumanized, discriminated against, and mass murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, musical instruments too bore witness to this atrocity.
But today, their music bears witness to this history, rising again, stronger and more vibrant - a testament to survival, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit.
This is the transformative journey of Violins of Hope-Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) is bringing Violins of Hope, a collection of instruments owned and played during the Holocaust, to the Wisconsin community for a five-month residency of educational and cultural programs, exhibits, and performances from September 2025 to January 2026.
CUW EVENTS SCHEDULE
Exhibition: Violins of Hope Wisconsin presented by MYSO Public Viewing
Dates: September 22-26
Location: CUW Art Gallery (Barth 109)
Times:
- Mon, 9/22: 12:00pm-4:00pm
- Tue, 9/23: 12:00pm-4:00pm
- Wed, 9/24: 12:00pm-9:30pm
- Thur, 9/25: 12:00pm-4:00pm
- Fri, 9/26: 12:00pm-6:00pm
"Holocaust and Violins of Hope - Wisconsin"
History and Theology Department Public Lectures
Date/Time: Wednesday, Sept. 24 | 7:00pm-8:30pm
Location: CUW Campus, Barth 027
- followed by exhibit viewing in the Art Gallery (Barth 109) from 8:30pm-9:30pm.
Music Department Concert/Recital
Date/Time: Friday, Sept. 26, 7:30pm
Location: Chapel of Christ Triumphant, CUW campus
- Exhibit-Closing Reception to follow in the Alumni Heritage Room, approx. 8:30pm-10:00pm
Violins of Hope - Wisconsin is presented by the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. For more information, visit https://violinsofhopewisconsin.org/
Photo courtesy of Violins of Hope Pittsburgh residency and Violins of Hope.