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Press Information published by the International Auschwitz Committee

27.04.2020

29 April: House concert by Igor Levit – a message to the survivors. Joint action by the pianist Igor Levit and the International Auschwitz Committee

 
 
Igor Levit © Boris Buchholz

 

 

 

On 12 March the pianist Igor Levit began streaming performances every evening at 7pm on twitter (@igorpianist) and Instagram (igorpianist) to boost the spirits and relieve the solitude of many people around the world during the Covid-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, these regular house concerts are reaching a remarkably broad public.

Now, in cooperation with the International Auschwitz Committee, Igor Levit has decided to make a special gesture of solidarity and encouragement. On Wednesday 29 April, the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau concentration camp, he is dedicating his house concert to all the survivors of the German concentration and extermination camps, honouring their decades of educational work as witnesses of the times and their intrepid defence of democracy in face of increasing far-right extremist and anti-Semitic hatred.

During these days and weeks, when the world is commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps and the end of World War II, the artist is attaching particular importance to this sign of solidarity with the very elderly survivors and the memory of their murdered families.



In Berlin Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee, commented on Igor Levit’s action as follows:

“During these days commemorating their liberation 75 years ago, the survivors are feeling the pain of their memories and sufferings particularly strongly. Their distress is being made worse by the enforced solitude and isolation from their loved ones, fellow sufferers and friends as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. Many of them wanted to attend the liberation ceremonies, probably for the last time, in the places where they suffered such horrifying experiences. Under these circumstances the survivors are all the more grateful to Igor Levit for this unique artistic gesture of human kindness, and especially because time and again he gives them strength through his commitment and his protests concerning populist ignorance, conspiracy theories and right-wing extremist hatred. He defends democracy with courage, creativity and a zest for life, and he motivates many people with his decisive stance. For this reason the IAC awarded him the B Sculpture (The Gift of Remembrance) in January this year. In addition to this, Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier recently invited Igor Levit to perform at his house concert in Bellevue Palace."

 
 
 

For further Information

Christoph Heubner

Executive Vice President
International Auschwitz Committee
Phone ++ 49 (0)30 26 39 26 81