© The International Society for New Music (IGNM) Salzburg
…under the patronage of Thomas Hampson
...in cooperation with Leao Baeck Institute, American Society for Jewish Music, Austrian Cultural Forum New York
Thursday April 20, 2023
Leo Baeck Institute – Center for Jewish history
15 West 16th St
New York, NY 10011
The exhibition at the Exilarte Center illustrates Kreisler’s family history, his time in Vienna and his special ability to communicate with the media (record companies, newspapers, radio) through numerous pictures, musical materials and life documents. His violin style (in connection with the major concertos and the Beethoven sonatas) is also thematized, as are his arrangements and compositional style. Likewise, the historical component of the expulsion by the Nazi regime based on “racial” reasons is shown and – as is already a tradition of Exilarte exhibitions – the inclusion of other exiled and ostracized violin virtuosos and string quartets of the time (Alma and Arnold Rosé, Carl Flesch, Bronislaw Huberman, Ferdinand Adler, Busch Quartet, Rostal Quartet etc.) is addressed.
Fritz Kreisler (Vienna, 1875 – 1962, New York) was first taught by his father before he entered the Conservatory of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna (today mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna) in 1882, where he studied with Josef Hellmesberger Jr. and Anton Bruckner. At the age of seven, he was the youngest child prodigy at this school. After studying in Paris, he went on a successful tour in the USA together with the pianist Moriz Rosenthal in 1888.
An audition with the Vienna Philharmonic was unsuccessful; nevertheless, he was invited to play as a soloist with the orchestra. After further successes with the Berlin Philharmonic under Arthur (Artúr) Nikisch, one of the most brilliant and lucrative solo careers of the time began. In 1910 Kreisler premiered Edward Elgar’s Violin Concerto, which was dedicated to him.
When the National Socialists seized power in Germany, performances of the star violinist were accompanied by disruptions and calls for a boycott due to his Jewish ancestry. His compositions were no longer played. Kreisler ended all further concert activities in Germany, but continued to live in his villa in Berlin together with his wife and manager, the American Harriet Lies, who maintained a good relationship with the Nazi-Regime. In 1935 Kreisler was awarded the Ring of Honor by the City of Vienna.
With the so-called “annexation” of Austria into Nazi Germany in March 1938, Kreisler’s Austrian passport became invalid. After successful efforts to obtain French citizenship, Kreisler found his way into American exile in September 1939, where he settled with his wife in New York and was naturalized in 1943. Kreisler’s last public appearance was in 1949. After his emigration the star violinist never travelled to Europe again. He died in New York in 1962.
Concert series of the association Tonwerk – Forum for New Music – as part of the district festival weeks Hietzing.
The Theresienstadt composer Hans Winterberg (1901 – 1991) has only been known to the musical public for a few years. Winterberg lived in Germany in the community of Sudeten Germans in Bavaria and dedicated his Deutschsudeten Trio to this group. The Exilarte Center is responsible for the rediscovery of the composer and publishes a large number of his compositions together with the publishing house Boosey & Hawkes.
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 7:00 p.m
Large ballroom of the Hietzing office building
Hietzinger Quay 1-3
1130 Vienna
Admission free!
Performers:
Floris Willem, Geige
Cristina Basili, Cello
David Hausknecht, Klavier
Program:
Antonín Dvořák: Klaviertrio no. 4, op. 90
Hans Winterberg: Sudetensuite
Gerhard Habl: Divertimento
Akos Banlaky: Präludium aus dem Trio op. 66
Friedrich Cerha: Nachtstück
Moderator:
Prof. Dr. Gerold Gruber (Gründer von exil.arte und Leiter des Exilarte Zentrum)
Mag. Akos Banlaky (Komponist, Obmann des Vereins Tonwerk – Forum für Neue Musik)
Supporter:
Stadt Wien, BMKÖS, Bezirksvorstehung Hietzing, GFÖM
Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 7 PM (EST)
Palais Ehrbar- Large Ehrbar Hall
Mühlgasse 28, 1040 Vienna
As a former student of Alban Berg and Anton Webern, the composer Philip Herschkowitz was one of the most sought-after private teachers of young musicians in the former Soviet Union after the war until the 1980s. Because of his Jewish origins, Herschkowitz, who was born in Romania, was expelled from Vienna by the Nazi regime. In Moscow, too, he continued to suffer from anti-Semitic threats and his works were frowned upon as “formalistic”. The focus of the concert is the musical work of Dmitri Smirnov and Elena Firsova, both of whom belonged to the narrow circle of private students and whose compositions were on the regime’s notorious “black list” from 1979 onwards. The exceptional pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja could again be won as interpreter of this program, who will perform this evening together with singer Maacha Deubner, flutist Ulrike Anton, harpist Anna Verkholantseva, violist Marta Potulska and pianist and composer Alissa Firsova.
© Peter Kogoj
In an interview with Irene Suchy, the pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja and the composer Alissa Firsova will talk about their apprenticeship years with Philip Herschkowitz and the compositions on the evening’s program. The concert takes place in memory of the composer and Herschkowitz student, Dmitri Smirnov, who died of Covid-19 in 2020.
Works by: Elena Firsova, Dmitri Smirnov, Arnold Schönberg and Philip Herschkowitz
Performers:
Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano)
Ulrike Anton (flute)
Maacha Deubner, (soprano)
Alissa Firsova (piano)
Anna Verkholantseva (harp)
Marta Potulska (viola)
Moderation: Irene Suchy
When: May 16, 2023, 7 PM (EST)
Where: Palais Ehrbar- Large Ehrbar Hall
Mühlgasse 28, 1040 Vienna
Vienna Chamber Orchestra conducted by Joji Hattori presents Adagio for string orchestra (1978) by Julius Bürger.
Friday, March 24, 2023 at 8:15 p.m
Vienna Concert Hall
Schubert Hall
Performers:
Vienna Chamber Orchestra
Anton Gerzenberg, piano
Joji Hatori, moderation & conductor
Details here.
The Exilarte Center presents “16 Songs and Ballads of Life and Decline” by Robert Fürstenthal
Thursday , April 27, 2023, 7 PM (EST)
University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Franz Liszt Hall (3rd floor)
Lothringerstrasse 18, 1030 Vienna
Admission free!
Register to reserve your seats here.
Performers:
Kelly Riordan, mezzo-soprano
Miyuki Schuessler, piano
Moderator:
Prof. Dr. Gerold Gruber (founder of exil.arte and head of the Exilarte center)
The Exilarte Center presents songs by Walter Bricht, Julius Bürger, Robert Fürstenthal, Hans Gál and Wilhelm Grosz in the concert series “Echo of the Unheard”. The legacies of these composers are in the archive of the Exilarte Center. Works by Walter Arlen will also be heard.
Here you can find the program booklet.
Works by: Walter Bricht, Julius Bürger, Robert Fürstenthal, Hans Gál, Wilhelm Grosz and Walter Arlen
©Peter Kogoj
Performers:
Josipa Bainac-Hausknecht, Mezzo-soprano
Bálint Németh, Tenor
David Hausknecht, Piano
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Gerold Gruber (Founder of exil.arte and Chairman of the Exilarte Center)
Tuesday, April 13, 2023, 7 PM (EST)
Palais Ehrbar – small Ehrbar hall
Mühlgasse 28
1040 Vienna
The Exilarte Center presents compositions from its musical estates in two concerts in New York
In cooperation with the Austrian Cultural Forum New York and the Center for Jewish History in New York, concerts by the Exilarte Center at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna will take place on February 21 & 23, 2023. Works by Walter Bricht, Julius Bürger, Robert Fürstenthal, Hans Gál, Wilhelm Grosz, Gustav Lewi and André Singer are presented in two different programs. The musical estates of these composers are located in the archive of the Exilarte Center. Works by Walter Arlen, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Vally Weigl will also be performed.
These concerts mark the beginning of the cooperation with the American publishing house Schirmer/Wise Music, who will publish over 300 works from the archive of the Exilarte Center at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna over the next years.
Concert at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York
Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 7 PM (EST)
Austrian Cultural Forum New York
11 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022
Works by: Julius Bürger, Walter Bricht, Robert Fürstenthal, Wilhelm Grosz and Vally Weigl
Performers:
Josipa Bainac-Hausknecht, Mezzo-soprano
Ulrike Anton, Flute
David Hausknecht, Piano
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Gerold Gruber (Founder of exil.arte and Chairman of the Exilarte Center)
Concert at the Center for Jewish History
Thursday, February 23, 2023, 7:30 PM (EST)
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
You can listen to the concert under the following link very soon.
Works by: Walter Arlen, Julius Bürger, Hans Gál, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Gustav Lewi, André Singer and Vally Weigl
InterpretInnen:
Kodak String Quartet (Mannes School of Music)
Josipa Bainac-Hausknecht, Mezzo-soprano
Ulrike Anton, Flute
David Hausknecht, Piano
With an introduction by Prof. Dr. Gerold Gruber (Founder of exil.arte and Chairman of the Exilarte Center) and Michael Leavitt (ASJM President)
On Saturday, October 1, 2022, this year’s “ORF Long Night of Museums” will take place in Austria.
The Exilarte Center of the mdw is pleased to again be part of the event this year. In addition to our special programs, there will be also guided tours through the current exhibition Fritz Kreisler – A Cosmopolitan in Exile. From Child Prodigy to “King of Violinists”as well as through our permanent exhibitions.
SPECIAL EVENTS as part of the ORF Long Night of Museums
1) Literary Reading with Music (starting at 7 pm)
In Memory of Käthe Leichter – 80 Years After Her Murder by the Nazis
Opening speech: Mag.a Ulrike Sych, President of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Käthe Leichter was one of the first leading Austrian social democrats to fight for equal rights of female and male workers. Her letters paint an impressive picture of a courageous woman. In 1939 she was deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she was murdered in 1942. Her sister, the composer and music therapist Vally Weigl, managed to flee to the USA together with her husband, the composer Karl Weigl in 1938.
The well-known actress Christine Ostermayer reads together with Gregorij von Leitis letters from Käthe Leichter and her husband Otto Leichter. The musical framework for this event is provided by works of Vally Weigl and Karl Weigl interpreted by soprano Josipa Bainac and pianist David Hausknecht.
Introduced by: Michael Lahr von Leitis (Lahr from Leitis Academy) and Gerold Gruber (Head of the Exilarte Center)
2.) Book presentation with music from the 1930s (starting at 9 p.m.)
„In-Musik-sein“ – The Musical Situation of the Exile Philosopher Günther Anders
Günther Anders is not only a technology-critical philosopher, he is also the author of writings on the philosophy of art and music. His Theorie der musikalischen Situation is reconsidered in the book „In-Musik-sein“ is presented here with a music-pedagogical intention.
During this event, the singers Melanie Hirsch and Sylvia Khittl-Muhr will interpret together with the pianist Christoph U. Meier works by Ralph Benatzky, Wilhelm Grosz, Friedrich Hollaender, Michael Jary and Robert Stolz. The musical estate of Wilhelm Grosz is located in the archive of the Exilarte Center.
Moderation Panel:
Gerold Gruber (Chairman of the Exilarte Center)
Markus Hirsch (mdw – Institute for Music Education)
Christoph Khittl (mdw – Institute for Music Education)
An mdw cooperation between the Institute for Music Education (IMP) and the Exilarte Center.
3.) Tours through the exhibition (as of 6:30 p.m.)
Fritz Kreisler – A Cosmopolitan in Exile. From Child Prodigy to “King of Violinists”
Life and work of famous violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler are presented in the new exhibition of the Exilarte Center through photos, scores as well as life and audio documents. When the National Socialists came to power in Germany, the performances of the star violinist were accompanied by disruptions and calls for boycott due to his Jewish heritage. Also his compositions were no longer played. In September 1939 Kreisler immigrated to the USA, where he settled in New York together with his wife Harriet.
TICKETS
Tickets can be bought directly at the Exilarte Center!
Exilarte Center at the mdw, Lothringerstraße 18 / 1st floor, 1030 Vienna
Regular: € 15.00 (including VAT)
Reduced:* € 12.00 (including VAT)
Free entry for children up to 12 years of age
* reduced tickets for schoolchildren, students, senior citizens, people with disabilities, military service and Ö1 Club members. Please have the relevant proof ready on site.
For further information, please click here.
On June 27, 2022 at 5 p.m., the Ukrainian musicologist Prof. Luba Kyyanovska will talk about outstanding Ukrainian musicians and composers who were active in the second half of the 20th century and persecuted by the Stalinist regime.
The lecture will be musically accompanied by singer Zoryana Kushpler and pianist Iryna Nikolayeva.
An event in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.
The lecture will be given in German.
Monday, June 27, 2022
5 p.m.
mdw –University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Lothringerstrasse 18
Franz Liszt Hall (3rd floor)
1030 Vienna/Austria
Admission free!
Wearing an FFP2 mask during the event is recommended.
