Violins of Hope residency concludes in Milwaukee with farewell event

The Holocaust-surviving instruments were used in dozens of events statewide over five months.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 11:23pm

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The Violins of Hope residency in Milwaukee has concluded after months of performances and events. Several Holocaust-surviving instruments were used in dozens of events statewide, reaching more than 31,000 people through performances and educational programs. The Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra marked the conclusion of the residency on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, honoring the stories and resilience the instruments represent.

Why it matters

The Violins of Hope project aims to share the stories of the instruments that once belonged to Jewish musicians who lived through or died during the Holocaust, using them as a means to educate and inspire the community about this tragic history and the power of resilience.

The details

The Violins of Hope are instruments that once belonged to Jewish musicians who lived through — or died during — the Holocaust. Many were played in ghettos, camps, hiding and exile, surviving alongside the people who carried them. The residency in Milwaukee reached over 31,000 people through performances and educational programs across Wisconsin. As the instruments prepared to leave Milwaukee for their next destination, the project manager encouraged the community to continue carrying their stories forward.

  • The Violins of Hope residency in Milwaukee concluded on January 28, 2026.
  • The Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra observed a moment of silence on International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, 2026.

The players

Thayre Faust

The project manager for the Violins of Hope residency in Milwaukee.

Linda Edelstein

The CEO of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Myra Sanchick

A former FOX6 employee who donated her father's violin to the Violins of Hope collection, weaving her family's history into the project.

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What they’re saying

“The violins we carry through this residency are not artifacts, they are witnesses; they were held in ghettos and camps in hiding and exile, they absorbed fear and loss but also hope.”

— Thayre Faust, Project Manager

“Do not think of tonight as ending, think of it as a responsibility. You now carry these stories, you are stewards of what these instruments represent.”

— Thayre Faust, Project Manager

“It's a day where we remember the 6 million victims of the Jewish Holocaust and the millions of others that perished under Nazi persecution.”

— Linda Edelstein, MYSO CEO

“Music, love, hope and community is really a story that everyone can share.”

— Myra Sanchick

What’s next

The Violins of Hope instruments will now travel to their next destination to continue sharing the stories and lessons of the Holocaust.

The takeaway

The Violins of Hope residency in Milwaukee has powerfully demonstrated how these instruments, which survived the Holocaust alongside their owners, can be used as a means to educate and inspire the community about this tragic history and the enduring human spirit of resilience.