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Philharmonic named after Jewish-Polish violinist

PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp 09.07.2012 11:45
The Philharmonic Orchestra in Częstochowa has been named after the famous violinist Bronisław Huberman, who was born there in 1882.
Bronisław
Bronisław Huberman Photo: public domain

A decision to this effect has been approved by the City Council and the official ceremony is planned for 3 October, to coincide with the opening of the orchestra’s newly-refurbished concert hall.

A child prodigy, Huberman started to perform in public at the age of seven and at fourteen played Brahms’s concerto in the composer’s presence.

In 1936, he founded the Palestine Orchestra known today as The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He also provided 75 Jewish musicians with immigration documents and financed their move to Palestine, effectively saving them from certain death at the hands of the Nazis.

Huberman’s extraordinary technique and musicality secured him a lasting place in the history of violin-playing worldwide. He died in 1947.

Huberman was also a champion of the idea of the pan-European movement. In a book ‘My Road to Pan-Europa’, published in Vienna in the 1930s, he wrote “the political unification of the continent is the supreme goal.”

“There will be no more threats of war and omnipresent hatred will give way to tolerance,” Huberman wrote, adding “let us not mix the notion of patriotism with religious beliefs, as this leads to the fomenting of chauvinism, hatred and constant animosities.”

“Let us cultivate respect for history, tradition and distinct identities regarding the most valuable cultural and spiritual values of our nations,” the work continues. (mk/jb)

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