When Alicia Brozovich, Artistic Director Of the Trenton-based musician collective The Lotus Project, first began planning concerts to coincide with a Holocaust-themed exhibit in Princeton this spring, the idea was to feature music about the experiences of survivors. The exhibit was on loan from the Museum Of History And Holocaust Education at Atlanta’s Kennesaw State University, which frequently shares its educational displays with synagogues and various other organizations around the country, and Brozovich connected with Kennesaw’s Composer-in-Residence Laurence Sherr about performing his work Fugitive Footsteps, based on the poetry of a survivor.
That idea expanded into a larger project, as Brozovich reached out to Trenton-based artist Alia Benslimin to create artwork based on the stories of local immigrants. The resulting festival, called "Remembrance and Resilience," is a series of concerts, discussions and exhibits focused on the themes of hope, courage, compassion and resilience. The first exhibits opened in May, and Benslimin’s work will go on display June 11. A chamber concert last month kicked off the musical element, which will conclude June 15 with the performance of Sherr’s work and a piece by Caroline Shaw. Sherr will also present a preview concert of his work June 8.
A Tempo host Rachel Katz speaks with Brozovich, Benslimin and Sherr this week about the festival, their works, and bringing together the experiences of refugees past and present.
