The Counter Extremism Project and ARCHER at House 88—in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C., the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C., and the German Federal Foreign Office—invite you to:
Enduring Music:
Compositions from the Holocaust
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
January 27, 2026 at 7:30 pm
About the Concert
About the Concert
Francesco Lotoro has spent decades recovering, preserving, and performing the music created by prisoners in ghettos and concentration camps during the Holocaust—music that survived against all odds. His work gives voice to artists who were silenced and restores a vital dimension of cultural memory.
The event will not only honor these extraordinary works and their composers, it will serve as a resonant platform from which to address the global resurgence of antisemitism. ARCHER has already partnered with Francesco Lotoro to transform the site at Auschwitz—formerly the locus of the Shoah—with the creativity and strength of those who wrote and performed music and poetry while captive. House 88 has hosted intimate concerts showcasing Maestro Lotoro’s collection in collaboration with prominent artists and international broadcasters.
This concert is a testament to art’s endurance in the face of abject terror—an appropriate celebration of Jewish strength and resilience to this day. Your presence would be deeply valued, and we would be honored to welcome you as part of this remembrance and celebration of human creativity despite unimaginable adversity. If you wish to reserve group seating or invite additional representatives from your organization, we are happy to assist. We hope you will join us for this meaningful evening.
Program
The evening will include:
- A performance of works drawn from Maestro Lotoro’s extensive archive spanning classical, folk, popular, and liturgical compositions.
- Remarks from distinguished representatives of the Jewish, academic, diplomatic, and survivor communities
- A tribute to the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
- A reflection on the importance of artistic resilience.
Featured Performer
About Francesco Lotoro
Maestro Francesco Lotoro is an Italian pianist, composer, and conductor who has dedicated over 30 years to collecting, preserving, and performing music composed in concentration camps. Lotoro has painstakingly excavated and cataloged thousands of musical scores, songs, and instruments created by prisoners during the Holocaust, representing a remarkable legacy of resilience and creativity in the face of unimaginable adversity. In recognition of his cultural and historical contributions, Maestro Lotoro has been awarded the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. His collection includes: Over 10,000 musical scores composed in concentration, extermination, and POW camps between 1933 and 1953; 10,000 documents related to music production in the camps, including microfilms, diaries, musical notebooks, phonographic recordings, and interviews with surviving musicians; 5,000 academic publications, essays on concentrationary music, and musical studies produced in the camps; 400 hours of interviews with survivors and their children. Lotoro’s archive also includes numerous musical instruments that were played and hidden by prisoners in the camps—physical representations of the role music played in sustaining morale and resilience.
Event Patrons
Dr. Hiva and Amb. Mark Wallace
Robin and Elliott Broidy
Tracy and Sander Gerber
Laura and Isaac Perlmutter
Event Chairs
Robert Book
The Hon. Jeb Bush
Orly Genger and Eric Herschmann
Dr. Thomas Kaplan and Daphné Recanati-Kaplan
The Hon. Kenneth J. Mehlman
Lisa and Brad Mindlin
Carol and Larry Mizel
Irina and George Schaeffer
Mercedes and Matt Schlapp
Merryl and James Tisch
The Hon. Frances Townsend
Dr. Herbert Wertheimer
Amb. Lee Wolosky
Host Committee
Sen. Norm Coleman
Lili and Jon Bosse
Malcolm Hoenlein
Rosa Schecter
Yudit and Rabbi Mordechai Suchard
Corporate Sponsors
American Eagle – Jay Schottenstein
The Watergate Hotel
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Spill the Honey Foundation
This event is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.
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