Exil

The programme features performances of rarely heard works by Jolas, Ginastera, and Toch; three composers whose work speaks directly to their experiences of forced flight and refugeehood.


With ‘Exil’ Schillerchor explores how the experience of forced migration is reflected and processed through music, both historically and in the present. The programme features three rarely performed yet extraordinary works: Quatre Plages by Betsy Jolas, who lived between Paris and the USA having fled the German occupation of France; Lamentaciones de Jeremías by Alberto Ginastera, written during political exile in Argentina; and Cantata of the Bitter Herbs by Ernst Toch, a Jewish composer who fled Berlin for New York in 1935 and composed the work in response to his exile- a piece never before performed in Germany.

In a musical dialogue across time and experience, these works resonate with questions of identity, belonging, and the challenge of building a shared future. With this performance we bring visibility to three composers whose voices have long been overlooked, while creating space for contemporary reflection and connection, and drawing special attention to today’s instances of displacement.

We intend this concert to reach new and diverse audiences, particularly young listeners and those with refugee backgrounds, offering a unique and accessible entry into Berlin’s choral scene.

Schillerchor Bio:

Schillerchor is a young classical choir that has been based in Schillerkiez, Neukölln since their establishment in 2019. They perform bold choral works ancient and modern in venues around their native Berlin and beyond.