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The CCOC presents a special 75th Anniversary production of Brundibár, by Czech composer Hans Krása.

During the Second World War, the Nazis created a concentration camp in the Czech town of Terezín. Known in German as Theresienstadt, the camp saw upwards of 155,000 people pass through its gates, many on their way to a sadder fate in extermination camps “to the East”.  Despite its grim purpose, Terezín was to become a place of hope and inspiration. Remarkably, the arts flourished in Terezín as painters, musicians and actors were allowed to continue their work.  Symphony concerts, plays, and lectures were a regular occurrence, showing not only the resilience of those oppressed, but also the power of the arts to lift the human spirit in the darkest of times.  In 1942, Hans Krása’s children’s opera Brundibár premiered in a Prague orphanage. The work was subsequently smuggled into Terezín and performed over 50 times by the children held there.

The Canadian Children’s Opera Company is thrilled to partner with Oscar-award winning filmmaker Malcolm Clarke in this exciting new production. Winner of the 2013 Academy Award for Best Short Documentary, The Lady in No. 6: Music Saved My Life tells the story of concert pianist and Terezín survivor Alice Herz-Sommer and will serve as a poignant complement to Brundibár - an opera in which her own son participated.