Rediscovering the Voices Silenced by History: A Special Talk with Kenneth Woods on Monday, May 5.

Join us for the first Exchange Summer Lecture Series: The Composers that History Forgot, as Kenneth Woods, the Artistic Director and Conductor of Colorado MahlerFest, presents a compelling exploration of the Jewish composers of the 20th century whose lives and music were forever changed by the rise of Nazism and the tragedy of WWII. This lecture will shed light on a generation of artists who were inspired by Gustav Mahler and how their lives were profoundly altered by the events surrounding WWII.

Among the featured stories is that of Viktor Ullmann, a gifted composer who continued to write astonishing music while imprisoned in the Theresienstadt ghetto. Despite unimaginable conditions, Ullmann composed Der Kaiser von Atlantis (The Emperor of Atlantis), an allegorical opera written in collaboration with librettist Petr Kien. Intended as a biting commentary on tyranny and the devaluation of human life under the Nazi regime, the opera was banned before it could be performed. Ullmann was deported to Auschwitz in 1944, where he was murdered. His opera survived—and stands today as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of music.

This poignant talk will include audio excerpts from Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis, and Woods will provide expert commentary on how Mahler’s legacy echoes in the music of Ullmann and other composers suppressed or erased by the Nazi regime. As a regular voice on BBC, NPR, Gramophone, and The Washington Post, Woods is a leading figure in reviving this lost musical heritage and bringing it to contemporary audiences.

Whether you’re a music lover, a history student, or someone passionate about cultural memory, this evening promises a rare and moving journey into one of the most powerful intersections of music, identity, and resistance.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the stories and the sounds that history nearly lost. Sign up for the first Exchange Summer Lecture Series: The Composers that History Forgot on Monday, May 5 from 5:30 – 7 pm, $12/session or $50 for all five lectures.