A symphony dedicated to Chiune Sugihara was presented to a large audience of Lithuanian education workers and students

On the 4th of November, there was a dress rehearsal of the world premiere “Nešantys šviesą / The Light Keepers” at the Kaunas State Philharmonic, admired by more than 400 educators and students.

 

Yad Vashem, the world Holocaust remembrance center, proposed to the Secretariat of the International Commission to invite Lithuanian teachers and students from Tolerance Education Centres to a dress rehearsal and to admire the symphony “Nešantys šviesą” dedicated to the memory of Chiune Sugihara. 

More than 400 people (teachers, students, museum workers, librarians, and representatives from various institutions) listened to the contemporary symphony “Nešantys šviesą”. The author of this musical piece is the composer Lera Auerbach.

First of all, guests of the event on the 4th of November could visit the exhibition “The Righteous Among the Nations” organized by Yad Vashem, where one of the information stands was dedicated to the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara. Before the performance of the symphonic piece, the historian Linas Venclauskas, who works in the Sugihara House-Museum, told the guests of the event about this Japanese consul in Kaunas. The idea of Yad Vashem to invite the educational community to a dress rehearsal was presented by Ingrida Vilkienė, coordinator of the educational programs of the International Commission. 

Before the performance of the symphony “Nešantys šviesą”, the audience was addressed by cello virtuoso Kristina Reiko Cooper. She briefly told her family history, emphasizing the fact that she is in this world thanks to Chiune Sugihara, who issued a visa to her grandfather and the visa saved him.

The symphony “Nešantys šviesą” was performed by Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra together with Kaunas State Choir.

The symphony “Nešantys šviesą” premiere took place on the 5th of November. The event’s guests could also visit the exhibition “The Righteous Among the Nations”, translated into Lithuania.