Symphony of the Holocaust:

Screening at Holocaust Museum of LA

April 18, 2024 at 6:30PM
Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles

The moving documentary Symphony of the Holocaust was screened at The Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles on April 18, 2024 at 6:30pm. The screening was  followed by a live performance conducted by Dr. Noreen Green, and a Q&A with Producer/Director Greg DeHart, Dr. Green, and family members of featured composer Shony Alex Braun.

Symphony of the Holocaust is a feature documentary about the life of master violinist and Holocaust survivor Shony Alex Braun, who used his experiences in the Nazi death camps to compose “Symphony of the Holocaust,” a haunting yet hopeful testament to the memory of the millions of Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II. After his miraculous survival, Shony composed over 200 works on his prized violin.

But “Symphony of the Holocaust” was his masterpiece, and he longed to play it at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. His hope was to fill the camp with the beauty of his music. Unfortunately, Shony died before he had the opportunity. But now, Shony’s family is fulfilling his wish, by traveling to Auschwitz to witness Erik playing Shony’s “Symphony” in front of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau gate – the very gate that thousands of Jews traveled through to their horrific deaths.

Symphony of the Holocaust features appearances by Maestra Green, the LAJS, and LAJS Founding Concertmaster Mark Kashper performing the violin solo for the titular piece at our education concert Triumph of the Spirit: Holocaust Stories Through Music.

Composer & Violinist Shony Alex Braun