“Great art will not be silenced!” The arts flourish in turbulent times and periods of great crisis. Music and poetry will come together for an evening of performance and dialogue around the ways creativity thrives in times of political strife and oppression. The Clarion String Quartet, comprised of members from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, give a voice to suppressed composers. The group will perform works composed before, during, and after the holocaust by composers that were silenced by the Nazis. Members will discuss the works, their performance at the Teresienstadt Concentration Camp, and the upcoming PSO concert featuring Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Internationally-renowned poet Anzhelina Polonskaya was born in Moscow. In 2015, her family received death threats after returning to Moscow following studies in Germany. She is currently seeking refuge in Frankfurt through the Cities of Refuge Programme. Anzhelina Polonskaya will Skype into the session, sharing her poetry and talking about her challenges creating while under threat from Russian Nationals. PSO Associate Conductor Andres Franco will host the evening’s presentation.

Learn more about other Pittsburgh Symphony @ City of Asylum events.