Sun, Oct 19
|Museum of Tolerance
Witness to the Truth: André Laks
Join USC Polish Music Center, Museum of Tolerance, and Holocaust Musuem LA for an afternoon lecture from Philosopher André Laks; son of composer, writer and survivor Szymon Laks, followed by a performance of Laks' String Quartet No. 3 by USC Thornton students.
Time & Location
Oct 19, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Museum of Tolerance, 9786 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035, USA
About
Paris-based Polish composer, writer and philosopher, Szymon Laks’s music uniquely balances elements of French modernism, Polish folk music and American jazz. Guest lecturer Dr. Grzegorz Mania will discuss the life and music of Laks, who survived imprisonment at Auschwitz by conducting the camp orchestra.
After regaining his freedom in May 1945, Laks used Polish folk idioms to create his Third String Quartet, which in turn provided the musical basis for Laks’s only Piano Quintet. This lively work will be the centerpiece of this event’s program, which will be collaboratively performed by PMC guest artists alongside students of the USC Thornton School of Music Strings department.
The Polish Music Center, Museum of Tolerance and Holocaust Museum LA will co-present an afternoon highlighting the experience of 2nd generation of Holocaust survivors. Dr. Mania and Mark Katrikh, MOT Deputy Director, will lead a discussion with André Laks, son of the composer. Shortly after, USC Thorn Students will perform Laks’s String Quartet No. 3.
Check back for registration information.