SigmArt is delighted to present the Live Concert “Fear and Faith: Women’s Voices of WWII”, produced by SigmArt in partnership with International Opera Foundation.

This special production is dedicated to the extraordinary music and resilience of female composers during World War II. Female composers whose music became enduring monuments to courage. From the Kolarac Studentski Trg 5 in Belgrade (Serbia) on the 9th of March 2025 at 19.00 GMT (20.00 CET), exclusive Live streaming on SigmArt.

What is the price of freedom? What is a person ready to do when facing death? Is art the only hope and solution? What has changed since the end of World War II, 80 years ago? Discover the answers to these questions through a one-hour journey with the melodies of songs created by female composers imprisoned in camps or hiding in ghettos, performed by the famous Soprano Marija Jelic and the Italian pianist Nelson Calzi. Get to know the mysterious lives of Henriëtte Bosmans, Rosy Wertheim, Elsa Barraine, Yulia Weissberg and Ilse Weber. You will discover the touching story of their hopes, desires and mission that kept them alive, through a unique scenography in the form of candles and carefully selected projections. With a renowned team that, in addition to the artists, includes the playwright Paola Ornati and the musicologist Julia Broido. A concert that will leave you with unforgettable memories.

The life of Ilse Weber (1903-1944) was cut short in Auschwitz; Yulia Weissberg (1880-1942) died during the blockade of Leningrad; and Elsa Barraine (1910-1999) was an active member of the French Resistance. Dutch composers Henriëtte Bosmans (1895-1952) and Rosy Wertheim (1888-1949) went into hiding, but continued to compose music.

Each heroine of the program has lived an extraordinary life, some long, while others didn't make it to 40. These lives were marked by the most terrifying years of the 20th century, the years of World War II. Music became a salvation for composers, and it outlived its creators. Today, this music is a monument to an era of fear and faith. Some compositions included in the program, inspired by soprano Marija Jelic and the musicologist Julia Broido, will be performed for the first time, directly from manuscripts that survived the war. After all, manuscripts do not burn.

Henriëtte Bosmans: Lead, Kindly Light / The Artist's Secret / In Den Regen / Three French Songs
Rosy Wertheim: Salome's Song / Two Dutch Songs
Elsa Barraine: Hommage à Paul Dukas (piano solo)
Yulia Weissberg: Moldavian Songs / Black Lullaby
Ilse Weber: Three Songs from Theresienstadt