Shapeshifter: The Music of Erwin Schulhoff

Zipper Hall

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Presented by the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices

Hear the distinctive voice and powerful music of Erwin Schulhoff. Effortlessly shifting between styles, Schulhoff’s compositions were influenced by Dada, Impressionism, Jazz, Czech national music, and Socialist Realism. Nearly erased by the Nazi regime, the music of Erwin Schulhoff is given new life by Colburn’s Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices.

Join brilliant young artists from the Colburn School as they share their journey of discovery and perform works from Shapeshifter—a new album showcasing Erwin Schulhoff. While his music has been gradually emerging from near-total obscurity in recent years, Shapeshifter is notable as the first album-length example taken up by American musicians of classical’s ascendant “next generation”. A Q&A with the artists follows the performance. 

This concert is presented as part of the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices, a unique Colburn resource that encourages greater awareness and more frequent performances of music by composers whose careers and lives were disrupted or ended during the years of the Nazi regime in Europe. Led by Artistic Director James Conlon, the Recovered Voices initiative brings this important repertory back to life for generations to come through performances, classes, competitions, symposia, recordings, and more.

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Patrons are encouraged to be fully vaccinated or obtain a negative COVID-19 test, but it is not required. See the full list of safety protocols for more information.