Brundibár: Singing Against Darkness

Dr. Teryl Dobbs will present "Brundibár: Singing Against Darkness," sharing her research about children's musical experiences in the Holocaust.

"Brundibar" is a children's opera by Jewish Czech composer Hans Krása. It premiered at the Vinohrady Jewish Boy’s Orphanage in the Prague ghetto in 1943.

It was performed 55 times in the Terezín concentration camp over the course of the next year and a performance was central to an International Red Cross visit to the camp in June 1944, during which the visiting delegation was deceptively shown a healthy and happy Jewish population. 

The Augustana Chamber Orchestra, Opera at Augustana and the Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble will perform "Brundibar" Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Dobbs is associate professor and current chair of music education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an affiliate within the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies and the Disability Studies Initiative. Her talk is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.