This year's International Shostakovich Days in Gohrisch (Saxon Switzerland) (June 25 to 28) are dedicated to the influence of Jewish music in the composer's work. The festival is part of the "Year of Jewish Culture" proclaimed by the Free State of Saxony, which aims to make Jewish life and its history accessible to a broad public.
"Dmitri Shostakovich repeatedly referred to the importance of Jewish culture for his own work. This year, we are tracing these connections by juxtaposing him with works by Jewish contemporaries and later generations, as well as classics such as Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy," said Tobias Niederschlag, Artistic Director of the festival, at the presentation of the program in Dresden.
