In January 2018, cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a survivor of Auschwitz, and then of Bergen-Belsen, addressed the Bundestag to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. In an extraordinary speech, she said, ‘Antisemitism is a virus which is two thousand years old and apparently incurable… No other genocide is as comprehensively documented as the Holocaust. And yet there are still the deniers… There are no excuses and no explanations for what happened all those years ago. All that remains is hope: the hope that ultimately, one day, reason will prevail.’

Anita will read extracts from that speech. Her grandson Simon Wallfisch, an acclaimed cellist and singer, will play, accompanied by pianist Iain Farrington.

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch survived Auschwitz as a member of the woman’s orchestra. She is one of the founding members of the English Chamber Orchestra. Anita has spent many years telling her story, mainly in Germany, as a warning for the future.

Simon Wallfisch, Cellist and Baritone studied voice and cello at the Royal College of Music and in Berlin and Leipzig. As a cellist he played with the English Chamber Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra before concentrating on singing. He has sung solo roles at the Zürich Opera House, Nürnberg State Opera, Leipzig Opera, Netherlands Touring Opera and English Touring Opera. He has recorded several CDs of both Song and Opera repertoire. He teaches cello at the Royal College of Music and Voice at the London College of Music, and is visiting professor at the Jerusalem Music Centre and Osnabrück Institute of Music. He is a trustee of ICSM (International Centre for Suppressed Music) promoting music suppressed by authoritarian regimes both past and current.

Iain Farrington is a pianist, organist, composer and arranger. He has made numerous recordings, has broadcast on BBC TV, Classic FM and BBC Radio 3, and has performed at all the major UK venues.

Sponsored by Eduard Shyfrin and family.