Refugees from World War II: Reclaiming the Music of Polish-Jewish Composers

Holocaust Museum Houston is hosting a concert on Thursday, October 15, titled Refugees from World War II: Reclaiming the Music of Polish-Jewish Composers. It's happening at the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Theater on the Mady and Ken Kades Stage, and the program brings together music by three Polish-born composers whose lives and work were profoundly shaped by the upheavals of the 20th century: Szymon Laks, Mieczyslaw Weinberg, and Roman Ryterband.

Each of these men was born in Poland and saw their careers redirected by the war and the Holocaust. Laks, Weinberg, and Ryterband all had to navigate the displacement and survival that defined that era, and their music carries those histories. Hearing them together in one evening lets you trace how different lives, all starting in the same place and colliding with the same catastrophe, produced such distinct voices. The concert is sponsored by the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Houston, which fits given the Polish roots of the composers.

If you're not familiar with their names, you might know Weinberg's work—he's often cited as one of the most prolific composers of the late 20th century, and his music is deeply tied to his experience as a refugee. Laks and Ryterband are less of a household name in the US, so this is a good chance to hear them side by side. The whole thing is presented by the museum, which gives the music its proper context rather than just playing it as a standalone recital.

The concert runs from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. It's free and open to the public, but you do need to register in advance by emailing education@hmh.org.