From September 2025 through January 2026, Violins of Hope–Wisconsin became something larger than a series of events, it created space for people across the state to feel what history alone cannot always teach. The violins at the heart of this residency are not museum pieces. They are living witnesses. Each instrument survived the Holocaust, carried in the hands of Jewish musicians and others targeted by the Nazis, people who loved music, who had families, who had futures stolen from them. To hear these instruments played again was to refuse silence. It was an act of remembrance, of resistance, and of hope.

This work unfolded through an extraordinary statewide collaboration of more than 65 partners — arts organizations, schools, universities, faith communities, and cultural institutions — united by a shared conviction: that these stories must be told, that these voices must be heard, and that music can reach people in ways few other mediums can.

Together, they created a five-month civic movement that engaged more than 50,000 people, generated widespread public conversation, and opened the door to moments of connection that no metric can fully capture.

Learn more about our impact on our partners page. 

The Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) served as the lead organizer and steward of the residency, helping to shape its vision and bring this coalition together. At the center of many experiences were young musicians who carried these stories forward with remarkable care. To witness a young person hold and play a Holocaust-era violin was to see history made present, not only remembered, but lived.

At a moment when hate is rising and division can feel intractable, this residency offered something different: proof that the arts are not a luxury or a distraction but a powerful force for building understanding and community. Just as importantly, it modeled what is possible when organizations set aside institutional boundaries to serve something larger than themselves, with intention, trust, and deep respect.

The impact of Violins of Hope–Wisconsin continues to resonate in the communities it reached, the conversations it sparked, and the shared responsibility it placed on all of us: to bear witness, to carry these stories forward, and to consider what we owe one another as human beings.