The Violins of Hope took residence in Nashville in early 2018. For months, they were displayed, discussed, and even played.

The instruments, all of which were owned by Jewish musicians and lost during the Holocaust, were collected and restored in the 1990s by Israeli luthiers Amnon and Avshi Weinstin. It was Avshi who recommended the violin that concertmaster Jun Iwasaki borrowed. In that particular concert he was the soloist for a concerto of themes from John Williams’ score to the film Schindler’s List.

Iwasaki talked more about playing this violin, which had been used in the men’s orchestra at Auschwitz, in Episode 6 of Keeping Score.

Revisit 91Classical and WPLN’s coverage of the project:

• How Joshua Bell And His Violin Connect To Nashville Symphony’s Violins Of Hope And 1000 Saved Lives
• Composer Jonathan Leshnoff On Jewish Spirituality, Tenacity, And Writing For The Violins Of Hope
• Nashville Symphony Performs With The ‘Violins of Hope,’ Giving Voice To The History Of The Holocaust
• Nashville Symphony’s Final Performance With Violins Of Hope To Feature Verdi’s ‘Defiant’ Requiem

To hear the full interview with Nashville Symphony Concertmaster Jun Iwasaki, be sure to subscribe to Keeping Score wherever you get your podcasts.