Brundibár was a children's opera composed by Hans Krása and was performed 55 times from 1943 in the Ghetto of Terezín, near Prague. The symbolism at the heart of this children's opera, the triumph of good over evil, served as a starting point for the examination of the history surrounding its creation.
For us at Chetham’s this, our second Educational, Cultural & Community Outreach project served to broaden the understanding of our young musicians as vibrant citizens of today, enabling them to share their skills and forge new relationships with other children and students in the region, helping them to share in the development, security and responsibility of their own futures.
Click here to view the Brundibar Project brochure online.
A small selection of the many highlights from this project were:
The Music and Culture of Terezín
A chamber concert featuring music by Schulhoff, Krása, Karel, and Ullmann; composers who all suffered and died in one of the many Nazi Concentration Camps.
Kristallnacht
Cellist and survivor of Auschwitz Anita Laker-Wallfisch gave a moving lecture exploring the effects of the events surrounding Kristallnacht (Novermber 9th 1938) and her own experiences.
Brundibár String Quartet Competition
A competition was held for composers to write a string quartet in response to a quotation of Ellie Wiesel. The winning quartet was premiered as part of the Royal Northern College of Music's QuartetFest.
Art Exhibition
New works of inspired by and created as a result of the Project were on display at Manchester Town Hall.
The Opera
Hans Krása's children's opera Brundibár received a number of performances throughout the period of the Project. Performed by musicians from Chetham's School of Music we were also delighted to be able to involve students from Greater Manchester Schools as members of the children's chorus
