Music Restored: The Ziering-Conlon Center for Exiled and Suppressed Composers—formerly called the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices—expands efforts to build greater awareness of composers whose music was nearly lost to history.
Last fall, the Colburn School announced the expansion of one of its signature programs, the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices, under the new name of Music Restored: The Ziering-Conlon Center for Exiled and Suppressed Composers.
This was not just a name change: The new designation reflects the growing scope of the program and Colburn’s commitment to illuminating the work of composers whose lives and careers were destroyed or disrupted by the Nazi regime. Through performances, educational outreach, recordings, and a new online resource, the School is committed to raising greater awareness of the legacies of composers in Europe from 1933–45 whose music was nearly lost to history.
Led by Artistic Director James Conlon and inspired by LA Opera’s groundbreaking Recovered Voices project, the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices was established at Colburn in 2013 with the support of Los Angeles philanthropist Marilyn Ziering. Conlon has dedicated decades to uncovering and reviving the music of artists whose careers and lives were tragically altered or ended by Nazi policies. For more than a decade, the Colburn School partnership has brought the music of this almost-forgotten generation to new audiences and encouraged young musicians to learn about these artists and return to their music throughout their careers. Since its inception, there have been more than 60 live performances and 26 audio/video recordings, along with more than 100,000 views on YouTube.
“What began as a personal mission has grown into a shared endeavor with the Colburn School,” said Conlon. “Music Restored: The Ziering-Conlon Center for Exiled and Suppressed Composers reflects the expanded scope and enduring urgency of this work. Deeply relevant in today’s fractious world, there are ongoing and compelling moral, historical, and artistic reasons to expand awareness. These composers are not merely historical footnotes; they are vital contributors to our cultural heritage. In collaboration with the Colburn School, I am endeavoring to prepare the future generations to carry on the work and the mission into the far future.”
“The Colburn School is deeply committed to preserving and advancing the legacies of exiled and suppressed composers,” said Sel Kardan, President and CEO, Colburn School. “Thanks to our exceptional partnership with James Conlon, we are pleased to launch a new center for performance and study to ensure these important works continue to be performed and the legacies of these composers are kept alive.”
Through this initiative, Colburn School alumnus and Music Restored Program Director Adam Millstein has found what he believes to be his purpose in life, which is to help others learn more about these composers and advocate for their music so it is never forgotten.
“Working with the Colburn School and James Conlon to share the music of exiled and suppressed composers is both a privilege and a responsibility, and I’m inspired every day by the opportunity to ensure these voices continue to be heard,” he said. “Although I am an alumnus of the Colburn School, I still consider myself a student who learns every day about these composers through their music that remains as relevant and important today as when it was written.”
New Name, New Website
Under its new moniker, Music Restored: The Ziering-Conlon Center for Exiled and Suppressed Composers remains as dedicated to its mission as ever. The initiative presents multiple events and performances each year to showcase the composers, their music, how politics of the time impacted their lives, and for some, how their work postwar created the sounds of the 20th century.
One of the program’s first directives was the creation and launch of MusicRestored.org as the new home of the OREL Foundation digital assets. For many years, the OREL Foundation, founded by Conlon and Michael Beckerman, a renowned musicologist and the recently appointed Dean of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, maintained one of the world’s most valued websites on the topic of music suppressed by the Nazis. It served as a major resource for musicians and organizations seeking information and guidance in the preparation of programs featuring music by suppressed composers.
Following the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, members and directors of the OREL Foundation decided to transfer the organization’s intellectual assets to the Colburn School. With Conlon’s association to both the OREL Foundation and Music Restored, it proved a fitting transition.
MusicRestored.org empowers Colburn to build upon the important work it is doing to educate students, performers, and the public on the lives and music of these composers. It features digital and performance content produced by Music Restored, which includes multimedia online series, album releases, recorded performance content, documentaries, and live performances and lectures from around the world.
Moving forward, the website will continue to add various media, such as newly released audio and video recordings spotlighting the works of Music Restored composers. Currently available is Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Ein Quartett-Satz on the name of Walter Arlen, performed by Millstein and students of the Colburn Conservatory of Music. This lyrical and intimate work is one of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s 52 musical “greeting cards” and the only one written for string quartet. The work pays homage to his enduring friendship with Walter Arlen and weaves in musical quotes from Schubert as a nod to Arlen’s Viennese heritage.
It’s with great anticipation that Music Restored announces the release this month of a new audio and video recording of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 featuring rarely heard cadenzas by Czech composer Erwin Schulhoff. Additional recordings along with other materials will be added to the website at a steady pace in the years ahead, inviting listeners to further discover and celebrate these restored musical treasures.
Music Restored is made possible through the generous support of Marilyn Ziering alongside the many donors who are inspired by this important work. Your support of the educational opportunities, programmatic representation in world-class performances, and competitions that inspire young musicians to not only learn about the artists but to return to their music throughout their career is incredibly impactful. Help us pave the way for more projects by making a gift to the Music Restored program today.
Read on for more insight into the recent endeavors of Music Restored: The Ziering-Conlon Center for Exiled and Suppressed Composers.