Concordia University Wisconsin proudly partners with Violins of Hope—Wisconsin, presented by the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), to bring forth a transformative residency that honors resilience, while educating on the dangers of hate and genocide.
Bearing witness to history
CUW proudly partners with the Violins of Hope—Wisconsin, presented by Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), to host a week-long set of events on campus featuring roughly a dozen of the 70+ notable instruments owned and played by Jewish musicians and others targeted by the Nazis during the Holocaust. The events and gallery display will take place September 22-26.
Violin-maker Amnon Weinstein and his son Avshalom started the Violins of Hope project in memory of a lost culture and people, and as a form of education for youth of all faiths and backgrounds. The violins—all collected by father and son since the end of World War II—are currently being utilized in concerts, exhibitions, and educational programs around the globe.
Brought to the Wisconsin community by MYSO, for a five-month residency from September 2025 to January 2026, this historical collection will provide audiences with a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the violins, hear them play, and learn their origin stories.
There will be three citywide exhibitions held at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, UW-Milwaukee’s Golda Meir Library, and the Milwaukee County Historical Society. CUW is one of more than 50 partners whose programming will include performances with the instruments, displays, and educational sessions.
“We are delighted that Concordia University is joining us on this journey as we weave a tapestry of understanding across our community,” says Linda Edelstein, chief executive officer for MYSO. “Together, we will take action with stories of perseverance, hope, and resilience by prominently featuring the violins in education sessions, performances, exhibits, and community conversations across Wisconsin, connecting their history through diverse musical repertoires and themes.”
“This work will be anchored in the stories of individuals and the instruments who bear witness.”
– Linda Edelstein
Inspiring hope for the future
During the Holocaust, Jewish prisoners—and others dehumanized by the Nazis—were either forced to play these instruments in the ghettos or concentration camps, or they chose to play them as a form of resistance.
“MYSO’s goals in this powerful initiative include creating a community deeply connected through the arts and committed to mutual respect and understanding while educating on the dangers of hate,” says Edelstein.
After more than 50 years, these “silent violins” share their stories, fostering a global understanding about a devastating time in history while also honoring the people who played them.
To learn more about the project and these extraordinary instruments, visit Violins of Hope—Wisconsin.
Further details
Dr. Louis Menchaca, CUW’s professor of music and department chair, has coordinated a comprehensive week of events for the Concordia community. Choosing the word “awareness” as a metaphorical lens, Menchaca still remains surprised by how little younger generations know about the Holocaust and WWII.
“The entire event—exhibition, lectures, concert—is indispensable to create both awareness and historical context with a new generation of students regarding this tragic event happening a mere 80 years past,” says Menchaca.
CUW’s music department, art department, history department, and theology department are collaborating to make this deeply meaningful residency possible. Gallery hours (in bold) and additional programming listed below.
- September 22: Noon-4 p.m.
- September 23: Noon-4 p.m.
- September 24: Rev. Dr. Joshua Miller and Dr. Betsy Pease—CUW associate professor of history—lectures 7-8:30 p.m. (location: Barth 027). Lecture audience is encouraged and will be escorted to the gallery for viewing from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Please register! Noon-9:30 p.m.
- September 25: Noon-4 p.m.
- September 26: Concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel.
Free and open to the public.
Closing reception from 8:30-10 p.m. (Alumni Heritage Room). Noon-6 p.m.
Notable facts
- These instruments, which have been touring since the early 2000s, have been played by many major orchestras from across the globe, including the Berlin Philharmonic and Cleveland Orchestra.
- MYSO is the largest after-school youth orchestra in the country, with 7,000 students involved annually throughout programming and free performances.
- Bill (Wisconsin Act 30) passed in 2021 mandates holocaust education in all middle and high schools.
Want in?
Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world. The music department contributes to the spiritual, cultural, artistic, academic and co-curricular aspects to University life on campus. As the campus has grown in scope and size the music department has become more integral to the University mission.