Expanding the Social Reception of the Works of Jewish Musicians

Since 2021, artists and scholars from the Faculty of Music at the University of Rzeszów have undertaken initiatives aimed at broadening public reception and preserving from oblivion the creative output of Jewish musicians—performers, composers, and poets—with particular emphasis on individuals active in former Galicia. These efforts have resulted in: a monograph series titled Jews in the Musical Culture of Galicia (developed alongside cyclical conferences under the same title), scholarly and artistic activities including guest lectures, the performance and organization of concerts, and the recording of albums.

The social impact of these initiatives has been achieved through the international dissemination of academic publications and musical events. The central pillar of these activities is the editorial series Jews in the Musical Culture of Galicia, edited by E. Nidecka. Within this series, two multi‑author monographs were published (2021, 2023). These publications are available in numerous libraries, including: the National Library of Israel, Harvard University, Yale University Library, the New York Public Library, New York University, the University of Toronto, the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley Libraries, and the Bavarian State Library. The award (Musical Eagle) granted to the second volume, published in 2023, significantly contributed to the promotion of the research topic undertaken by the staff of the Faculty of Music UR.

In parallel, cyclical international academic conferences were organized, attracting world‑renowned experts such as Prof. H. Goldberg (Indiana University–Bloomington, USA), Prof. Y. Wolfsthal (Ben‑Gurion University of the Negev, Israel), and Dr. L. Mauro (West Virginia University, USA). Artistic collaboration was also established with the Jewish cantor B. Matis (USA), who performed together with artists from the Faculty of Music UR in the concert In the Circle of Synagogue Music and Jewish Poetry.

Guest lectures by scholars from the Faculty of Music UR were presented at venues including the Castle in Sanok, the Jewish Culture Center “Judaica” in Kraków, the Sandomierz Cultural Center, the Ossoliński National Institute in Wrocław, the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, and the Museum of the Dialogue of Cultures in Kielce. E. Nidecka’s activities in this field gained international reach through guest lectures delivered at Kansas State University and the University of Kansas (USA) in 2022.

The scholarly research also manifested in artistic events—concerts such as Interrupted Childhood, Prayer for Peace – Psalms of Peace and Hope, and recitals of Jewish songs. Another outcome was the inspiration to compose new musical works. Composer K. Kostrzewa, inspired by the poetry of Jewish poet P. Celan, wrote seven songs for tenor and piano based on his poems, addressing themes related to the tragedy of the Holocaust. The premieres of these songs took place partly in Poland, partly in the United States, and in Vienna.