Performing the Jewish Archive
press release: The U.S. component of a major international research project, “Performing the Jewish Archive,” led by the University of Leeds, in England, has attracted significant funding (over $2.5 million) to shine new light on forgotten works by Jewish artists. Performing the Jewish Archive will bring recently rediscovered musical, theatrical and literary works by Jewish artists back to the attention of scholars and the public, and stimulate the creation of new works.
A multidisciplinary team, across four continents, is focusing on the years 1880-1950 –
an intense period of Jewish displacement – to explore the role of art in such upheaval. The three-year “Performing the Jewish Archive” project involves a large number of partners, exploring archives, delivering community and educational projects, conferences/symposia and international performance-based festivals.
The UW-Madison and the city of Madison are uniquely situated as the sole hosts for the project’s performance events within the United States; one of the premier public research-intensive universities in the world – based in a community that lives and breathes diverse arts, while striving for social change.
After welcoming over 500 people to the one-day event in Madison last August, the full festival, “Out of the Shadows: Rediscovering Jewish Music, Literature and Theater” will be the first of six festivals around the world. There will be five days of performing events from Sunday, May 1 through Thursday, May 5, 2016.
Local partners include the UW-Madison School of Music, Mosse-Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies, the Mayrent Institute for Yiddish Culture and the Arts Institute along with Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, Hillel Madison, Madison Youth Choirs and Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Event Schedule:
Detailed information (including location) is found below for each specific event. Events and performers are subject to change.
Sunday, May 1 (all at UW Memorial Union-Fredric March Play Circle)
2-3:45 pm New Budapest Orpheum Society | From Helsinki to Theresienstadt: Cabaret Songs from Europe and Beyond
3:45-4:30 pm Reception
4:30-5:30 pm Philip and Christine Bohlman | The Chronicle of Love and Death of
the Flag-Bearer Christoph Rilke
7:30-9 pm Harlequin in the Ghetto
Monday, May 2
Noon-1:30 pm, Henry Sapoznik | Lambert Cylinders lecture and lunch, University Club, 803 State St.
6:45-7:05 pm, Dr. David Fligg’s pre-concert lecture; and 7:30 pm Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society | European Jewish Composers who Came to America, First Unitarian Society Meeting House, 900 University Bay Dr.
Tuesday, May 3
2:30 pm, Wilhelm Grosz: Lieder and Piano Music, First Congregational Church Chapel, 1609 University Ave.
7:30 pm, “Oy, how he sung!”: Journeys in Jewish Choral Music, Mills Hall, School of Music, 455 N. Park St.
Wednesday, May 4
3:30 pm, Undergraduate Symposium, Pyle Center (open to students only by RSVP)
8 pm, Mother Rachel and Her Children, oratorio performed by UW-Madison Concert Choirs, Music Hall, 925 Bascom Mall
Thursday, May 5
2:30 pm, Gideon Klein: Portrait of a Composer, Hillel at the UW-Madison, 611 Langdon St.
7:30 pm, Collage Concert, Capitol Theater, Overture Center, 201 State St.
Tickets for most events are $10 general admission, $5 students and participants are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased through the Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office (in person or online) and for the Collage Concert Finale – tickets need to be purchased at the Overture Center.
Tickets for the Collage Concert Finale at Overture Center:
http://tickets.overturecenter.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=2136
UW-Madison parking:
http://transportation.wisc.edu/parking/lotinfo_occupancy.aspx