Becca Kasdan's Violins of Hope Cabaret Concert
Imagining New Possibilities for Classical Music Performances in the 21 st -Century:
Drawing Inspiration from the Berlin Cabarets of the Weimar Republic
During my concert, I combined the most successful elements of the Berlin cabarets to reimagine an innovative format and performance practice for classical music concerts in the 21 st -century that celebrates inclusivity and creativity in the arts. I collaborated with puppeteers, dancers, visual artists, and musicians from Israel, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Austria, England, and the United States to create a truly memorable and internationally inclusive performance that highlighted performer- audience interaction, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement. This performance also featured two world premieres: John Carmichael’s “Puppet Show” for violin and piano and a special arrangement of two Theresienstadt cabaret songs by Ronen Nissan.
On April 23, 2023 I presented a Violins of Hope Cabaret Concert, the culmination of my Doctoral performance and research. I performed this recital at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures in Urbana, Illinois in collaboration with Avshalom Weinstein, co-founder of Violins of Hope. As featured in the PBS Documentary- Strings of the Holocaust, Violins of Hope is a collection of instruments recovered from the Holocaust and painstakingly restored by Amnon Weinstein and Avshi Weinstein in Israel. The instruments have heartbreaking stories of being performed in concentration camps, thrown off cattle cars, buried in the ground, and etched with Swastikas. An unprecedented art form, the Berlin Cabarets of the Weimar Republic sought to break down traditional barriers by creating improvisatory and impromptu programs that emphasized artistic creativity, freedom, casualness, and acceptance and valued collaboration between a variety of different art forms.
Testimonials
“This has been the most extraordinary lecture/recital I have ever had the privilege to experience. The presentation and performance of your work has truly changed what I know about and how I absorb cabaret music.”
“This performance was the most impressive community-facing performance I have seen. It was the best of community engagement. Her integration of other art forms (dance, puppetry, and visual art) with musical performance reflected deep understanding of all these art forms. Her educational talks about Weimar and cabaret help us all understand what can happen when people at the margins flourish as well as what happens when their rights, and existence, are threatened. What better education to accompany these Violins of Hope?” -University of Illinois Former Dean
