Musical voice in community dialogue

by Michael J. Solender

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Picture by Ziv Shenhav

February 20, 2012

In April, Charlotte will host the social and musical exhibition, the Violins of Hope, laying the foundation for a significant and long lasting cultural legacy for our emerging New South city. These eighteen violins, recovered and restored from the Holocaust by Israeli master violinmaker, Amnon Weinstein, are uniting our community in true testament to the power of returning musical voice to these once abandoned treasures.

Weinstein began what has become the capstone to his life’s work in 1995 when he acquired the first of many violins with provenance placing them squarely witness to the Holocaust. The instruments will be showcased in the exhibit brought to Charlotte by the University of North Carolina-Charlotte’s College of Arts & Architecture in what the college’s dean, Ken Lambla called, “A historic victory of culture.”

Stating he is “simply overwhelmed” by the complimentary programming his work has inspired, Weinstein acknowledged he is deeply moved by Charlotte’s efforts. Lectures, film, theater, violin master classes, and concerts all are planned during the exhibition run. One program highlight is a concert performance by Israeli violin virtuoso, Shlomo Mintz, who will perform with the Charlotte Symphony on April 21.

That the exhibit’s North American debut takes place in a city with a Jewish population of less than 2 percent involved a bit of luck, serendipity, and oddly enough, an archery class.

Weinstein, long fascinated by the corollary between archery and violin, took his research from Israel to the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1995. Distracted by a dazzling display of archery along the firing line one day, Weinstein approached the man who had neatly arrayed his arrows in the center of the distant target.

Expecting to find the archery instructor, he was instead introduced to David Russell, Violin pedagogue and then faculty member at the Institute. An immediate friendship ensued.

Some years later, Russell was invited to Keshet Eilon’s International Master Violin class in Israel.

“Amnon gave me a violin and asked me to play,” said Russell. “I was being set up. When he told me afterward that it was played in one of the concentration camps, I knew I had to be involved in helping them become known.”

Russell, now the Anne R. Belk Distinguished Professor of Music at UNC Charlotte, has dreamed of bringing Weinstein’s violins to America for almost a decade.

“It is incredibly gratifying to experience the outpouring of support,” said Russell, noting his dream was met with enthusiasm from dean Lambla and dozens of community partners. “This is a way for students to recognize that art carries a nobility of ideas that are important and can actually change lives. It’s transformative.”

The community is using the project as a vehicle for interfaith dialogue, cross cultural exploration and understanding, and as a way to bring lasting influence and impact to the city.

Queens University is not only hosting a concert, but running two courses connected to the project - A course on Nazi Germany and a Topics in Music course on Forbidden Music. Many may not know that Jews during that era were blamed by the Nazis for promulgating Negro rhythms of jazz and blues leading to outright bans of many forms of artistic expression.

Rabbi Murray Ezring of Temple Israel, the largest conservative synagogue in the Carolinas, echoed the feeling that Charlotte is an optimal choice to host the project. Ezring said while he has lived in areas with greater Jewish populations, he is continually impressed by the level of interest from non-Jews in Jewish programming.

“Charlotte’s Discovery Place recently hosted the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit which broke attendance records,” said Ezring. “Ours is a community that shows mutual respect; we are constantly trying to learn about and understand each other.” A special Yom Hashoah service will be held at the synagogue during the exhibition.

One scheduled performance, hosted by Myers Park Baptist Church, is inspired by the heroic deeds of the French Protestant community of Le Chambon- sur- Lignon, who sheltered nearly 3,500 Jews during the war. It features a performance by Russell, who has both taught and performed in the very French village that has become a touchstone for the power of conscience.

Reverend Dr. Steven Shoemaker leads the church, a leader in Charlotte’s interfaith relations, which is home to 2,100 congregants.

“We welcome and look for opportunities for interfaith dialogue,” said Shoemaker. “Recognizing others and celebrating differences is part of our spiritual character.”

When completing a restoration, Weinstein painstakingly glues a small inscription onto the inside of each violin paying honored tribute and remembrance. He is clearly inspired by these special instruments as they reveal the power music has as an art form of social justice and understanding.

Weinstein selected the instruments for exhibition based upon their musical point of view and their individual history. When he spoke of his interest in bringing these instruments to Charlotte, it became apparent his motivation was in revealingthe power of music as an art form of social justice and understanding. 

“When I see the Star of David on these violins,” he said, “I know they have seen unimaginable things. Each violin I work upon reopens a new chapter and allows for them to carry forward their voice, bringing it back into this world.”

A complete schedule of events including exhibitions, lectures, films, and services can be found here.