Strings that still sing: UK welcomes historic Violins of Hope collection

The University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts will present Violins of Hope UK, a weeklong series of performances, exhibitions and educational events this month centered on one of the world’s most powerful musical and historical collections.

Violins of Hope features more than 70 violins, violas and cellos that survived the Holocaust — instruments once owned and played by Jewish musicians before and during World War II. Restored by internationally renowned violin makers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein, these instruments serve as living artifacts, bearing witness to stories of loss, resilience and hope.

During the Holocaust, Nazis carried out a mass genocide, murdering six million European Jews, including musicians whose instruments are now in the Violins of Hope collection. Cofounder Avshalom Weinstein will accompany the collection during its visit to Lexington, which will culminate with a UK Symphony Orchestra concert Feb. 14, with musicians in the ensemble playing selected instruments from the collection.

Violins of Hope is an internationally recognized project that brings together music, history and remembrance through public concerts, lectures, exhibitions and films. Over the past several decades, the collection has been presented in major cultural centers around the world, offering audiences a deeply human connection to history through sound and storytelling. During its residency at the University of Kentucky, the project will invite students, faculty and the broader Lexington community to engage with these instruments both musically and educationally.

John Nardolillo, UK Symphony Orchestra music director and conductor, said the visit and collaboration with Violins of Hope has been a longtime goal, one that he hopes leaves a lasting impression on his students and the Central Kentucky community.

“It’s a very powerful and moving connection to the musicians who owned these instruments, for all of us who are involved, both faculty and students,” Nardolillo said. “I have known about this project for years, and have been talking with Avshi Weinstein for at least five years to try to bring the project to Lexington. 

“I don’t remember how I first heard about it, but I’ve been following it for years, wanting to see the instruments, and wanting to bring the project here,” he continued. “I traveled to see Mr. Weinstein, we had a meal together and talked about the impact it would have here in Lexington and decided to make it happen here.” 

The five-day visit will include a screening of “Amnon’s Journey,” a documentary film that traces the origins of Violins of Hope and the Weinstein family’s mission to recover and restore instruments silenced by the Holocaust. The film will be begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Kentucky Theatre and is a ticketed event. There will be a post-film talkback session with Avshalom Weinstein.

On Wednesday, Feb. 11, there will be a public lecture 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the Singletary Center for the Arts Recital Hall. The lecture will explore the historical context of the instruments, their restoration and the musicians who once played them. This event is free and open to the public.

On Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13-14, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., the Violins of Hope exhibition will be open in the Singletary Center President’s Room, allowing visitors to view the instruments up close and learn the personal histories connected to each one. The exhibition is free and open to the public and offers a rare opportunity to encounter these instruments outside of a performance setting.

The residency will conclude with a UK Symphony Orchestra concert, Violins of Hope, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, in the Singletary Concert Hall. The program will feature student and community musicians performing on instruments from the Violins of Hope collection and will include Jennifer Higdon’s “blue cathedral,” works by composers Pavel Haas and Viktor Ullmann — whose lives and music were impacted by the Holocaust — along with John Williams’ Theme from Schindler’s List and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. Tickets for the concert are available for purchase, with discounted pricing for students. A pre-concert lecture on Saturday evening will provide additional historical and musical context ahead of the culminating orchestral performance.

The exhibit will be open for one hour following Saturday’s concert.

Avshalom Weinstein said each new place the exhibit visits equals an opportunity to increase awareness of not just the Holocaust, but specific stories connected to it.

“I always look forward to the opportunity to share the stories and history of these instruments, and maybe teach people about a different side of the Holocaust,” he said. He added that the collection has been well received as it tours internationally. “The community loves the idea of the stories behind the instruments. The sounds of the violins with the stories has a very big effect and brings different sides of music to the audience.”

Mindy Haas, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, one of the partner organizations for Violins of Hope UK, said she hopes seeing the collection and hearing the music will resonate not just with Central Kentucky’s Jewish community, but with all who see the instruments, hear their stories and enjoy the music made on them.

“Bringing Violins of Hope to Lexington places Jewish history, memory, and resilience at the heart of our city’s cultural and civic life, while offering a meaningful opportunity to educate, build partnerships, and share our story through the universal language of music,” Haas said. “By bringing this project to Lexington, we aim to foster empathy, deepen understanding, and strengthen our community’s shared commitment to remembrance, inclusion and standing together against hatred.”

The instruments themselves are a testament to the Jewish community’s resilience, she added.

“These violins, once owned and played by Jews before and during the Holocaust, carry stories of loss, courage, and survival, and hearing them played again affirms that Jewish life endures.”

Event highlights:

• Violins of Hope film: “Amnon’s Journey”
  Feb. 10 | 7:30-8:30 p.m.
  Kentucky Theatre — ticketed
  A screening that traces the remarkable journey of the Weinsteins and their mission to restore instruments of historical and emotional significance.
   
• Violins of Hope lecture
  Feb. 11 | 5:30-6:30 p.m.
  Singletary Center for the Arts Recital Hall — free
  Learn about the history, restoration, and stories behind these extraordinary instruments.
   
• Violins of Hope exhibition
  Feb. 13-14 | 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
  Singletary Center for the Arts President’s Room — free
  Experience up-close the instruments themselves and the powerful human stories they carry.
   
• Pre-concert lecture
  Feb. 14 | 6:30-7:30 p.m.
  Singletary Center for the Arts Recital Hall — free
  A contextual talk ahead of the evening performance.
   
• UK Symphony Orchestra concert: Violins of Hope
  Feb. 14 | 8 p.m.
  Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall
  Featuring students and community musicians performing works including “blue cathedral” by Jennifer Higdon, and selections by Pavel Haas, Viktor Ullmann, and John Williams’ “Theme from Schindler’s List,” followed by Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students.

Violins of Hope UK is presented with support from the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass and reflects the University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts’ commitment to using the arts as a platform for education, remembrance, and dialogue. Through music and shared experience, Violins of Hope honors the voices of those who endured unimaginable hardship and affirms the enduring power of art to carry history forward. To learn more, visit: https://finearts.uky.edu/music/violins-hope-uk.