Silent Psalm | Symphony and Sculpture by Lera Auerbach
artist in spotlight
Sculpture by Lera Auerbach commemorating Chiune Sugihara’s heroic rescue of Jews during the Holocaust, interweaving Yiddish poetry, spiritual symbolism, and the Japanese art of Kintsugi to reflect on memory, fracture, and the healing power of compassion
Presented with the symphony “Vessels of Light”, the project unites music and visual art in a deeply moving act of remembrance and resilience
about
Status
Archive, 2022
Location
Global Reach
Focus Areas
Visual Art, Holocaust Remembrance, Sculpture
Artist
Lera Auerbach
Key Partnerships
NOACK Bildgiesserei
Yad Vashem
Press Kit
Mission
Silent Psalm honors the legacy of Chiune Sugihara through the language of sculpture, offering a contemplative space for reflection on memory, resistance, and moral courage. As a visual counterpart to the symphony Vessels of Light, it deepens the dialogue between music and form in commemorating acts of humanity.
Approach
Cast in bronze and produced in collaboration with NOACK Bildgießerei, the sculpture reimagines a fragmented musical score of Psalm 121, with its cracks filled in the tradition of Kintsugi. Shaped into a fractured Star of David, Silent Psalmmirrors the themes of Auerbach’s symphony—bridging spiritual symbolism, Jewish mysticism, and aesthetic resilience.
Impact
By bringing visual art into conversation with sound, Silent Psalm expands the commemorative reach of Vessels of Light. It invites audiences to confront historical trauma through layered metaphors of fracture and repair, offering a lasting space for cultural remembrance, ethical reflection, and collective healing.
roadmap
Commissioned by Yad Vashem and concept development, inspired by Chiune Sugihara’s legacy
2019
Composition & sculpture modeling
2020—2022
The symphony Vessels of Light premiered at Carnegie Hall on April 13, 2023, performed by cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper and the New York City Opera Orchestra and Chorus under the baton of Constantine Orbelian.
2023
The sculpture Silent Psalm by Lera Auerbach was unveiled at the Konzerthaus Berlin on November 17, 2024, coinciding with the premiere of her Symphony No. 6, Vessels of Light. This event was part of the "Aus den Fugen" festival and marked the 70th anniversary of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. The sculpture was exhibited in the foyer of the Konzerthaus Berlin, presented by the Althafen Foundation.
2024
quotes
“
Beyond spanning a historic arch that binds the suffering and survival of the Jewish people scattered throughout the world, Auerbach’s art addresses the universal state of the human condition, as a moral quest for beauty and repair, even amidst destruction and violence
”
Ilona Oltuski
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