In recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026 Music of Remembrance (MOR) presents its “Art From Ashes” concert.

“Art From Ashes” centers on the creative works of a group of adolescent boys imprisoned in Terezín. The group created the weekly magazine, “Vedem,” (“In the Lead”) filling it with original poems, stories, and drawings that documented their lives. They produced “Vedem” in secret for nearly two years. One boy buried all 800 pages of their work, ensuring their work would survive.

Decades later, these writings became the foundation of Lori Laitman and David Mason’s oratorio of the same name. “Vedem” was commissioned by MOR in 2010. At the premiere of “Vedem,” four of those survivors reunited and shared the anthem of their made-up nation, “Shkid,” with Artistic Director Mina Miller. This year’s “Art From Ashes” will see the return of “Vedem” and the first concert performance of “The Anthem of the Republic of Shkid.”

In a press release, Miller said, “I still get goosebumps when I think of Emil humming that melody over and over. The music gave him the strength to keep trudging in the freezing cold, even as people collapsed all around him. Meeting all four survivors was a profound honor, and with this concert, we remember their courage and resilience.”

Along with the concert, MOR is also offering free streaming of the 2011 documentary The Boys of Terezín from Jan. 20-31. Directed by Emmy Award-winning journalist John Sharify, the film traces the creation of the boys’ secret magazine and captures the reunion of four surviving contributors at Music of Remembrance’s 2010 world premiere of “Vedem.” It also follows Northwest Boychoir, which sang in that premiere and returns for this year’s performance, connecting a new generation of young choristers with the brutal history endured by boys their own age.

The concert will take place on Jan. 26 at 5:30 pm at Benaroya Hall.

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