Music in Exile Concert on May 13, 2026 at 6 PM
Celebrate America250 with a PanEuropean Chamber Music Ensemble
Please join the German-American Heritage Foundation & Museum and The United Church + Die Vereinigte Kirche for a special evening of chamber music with a selection of works by Austrian and German exile composers who spent the 1930s and 1940s in the United States. Featured composers include Arnold Schönberg, Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler along with American-born George Gershwin, and Gustav Mahler, one of the great Romantic composers and conductors who bridged the gap between the 19th century Austro-German tradition and 20th century modernism.
Mahler had a special relationship with the United States, and celebrated his New York debut at the Metropolitan Opera on Jan. 1, 1908 where he conducted Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. He continued to make occasional guest appearances until March 1910, and symbolized a longing for America (German: ‘Amerika-Sehnsucht’) that played a significant role in pre-World War I Europe.
Attendees will enjoy a diverse musical program that highlights the strength and resilience of culture and music as a means of creating connections and understanding by drawing upon the experiences of living abroad and in exile. We hope that you will celebrate the long-standing friendship between Austria, Germany, and the United States with us during this special semiquincentennial year.
We are not charging an admission fee, but please consider making a donation to GAHF and The United Church–either online or in person–for bringing high-quality cultural programming to the Washington, DC area.
About the Artists:
Stefan Bone is currently Kapellmeister and Répétiteur at the Kiel Opera House. Highlights of the last seasons include conducting Verdi`s Don Carlos, Falstaff and Otello as well as Prokofiev`s The love for Three Oranges and Puccini`s La Bohème. Since 2022, he has been Artistic Director of the Chamber Orchestra of the Greater Region, a paneuropan chamber ensemble based in Saarbrücken. His activities there focus on regional and international cultural cooperation. He completed his piano and conducting studies in Freiburg and Saarbrücken, is a First Prize Winner of the International Chamber Music Competition Épinal and performs as a sought-after chamber musician and Lied recitalist.
