Vanderbilt University and WE ARE HERE: SONGS FROM THE HOLOCAUST Unveil Multi-Year Partnership
Grammy winners Pacific Chorale and Regina Belle join the Segerstrom Center lineup at Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Vanderbilt University and We Are Here: Songs from the Holocaust have established a multi-year partnership to expand Holocaust education through music, public engagement and dialogue. Rooted in a shared belief that education can help confront hatred, preserve memory and strengthen communities, the collaboration reflects Vanderbilt's founding purpose of helping repair a fractured nation through learning, understanding and leadership.
The partnership will begin Wednesday, Nov. 4, with a performance at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. The concert is co-sponsored by Vanderbilt's Holocaust Lecture Series and the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program.
The collaboration builds on Vanderbilt's nearly five decades of Holocaust education through its Holocaust Lecture Series while creating new opportunities to connect music, scholarship and public engagement. Through concerts, educational programming and community partnerships, the initiative will help students and audiences examine one of history's darkest chapters, preserve the voices of Holocaust victims and explore how remembrance can inspire leadership, understanding and action against hatred in all its forms.
'Vanderbilt was founded with a purpose of helping repair a fractured nation through education, and that mission continues to guide our work today,' said Darren Reisberg, vice chancellor for Operations and the Campus Network at Vanderbilt. 'We Are Here demonstrates how music, history and dialogue can preserve memory, deepen understanding and prepare future generations to confront difficult questions with humanity, courage and respect. This partnership reflects our belief that education remains one of society's most powerful tools for building stronger communities.'
We Are Here features songs written in the ghettos and concentration camps of Nazi-occupied Europe, interwoven with the stories of the people who created them. Composer and music producer Ira Antelis developed the production following the death of Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, drawing inspiration from collections of Yiddish music preserved by survivors and passed from generation to generation.
Since its debut in Chicago, the production has grown to performances at Carnegie Hall, The Salt Shed in Chicago and Vanderbilt University. In January 2025, Vanderbilt became the first university to co-present the concert, bringing together artists, civic leaders and members of the university and Nashville communities for an evening of music, remembrance and reflection.
Vanderbilt alumnus David Mendelson, BA'88, an executive producer of We Are Here, helped cultivate the relationship between the university and the production, beginning conversations several years ago about the alignment between Vanderbilt's mission and the concert's educational purpose.
'We Are Here is honored to enter into this partnership with Vanderbilt University,' said Rabbi Charles Savenor, executive producer of We Are Here and executive director of Civic Spirit. 'From our earliest conversations, Vanderbilt stood apart because of its founding purpose and its belief that education can help bridge divides and strengthen communities. We found a university whose commitment to scholarship, dialogue and leadership naturally aligns with our mission of preserving these voices and ensuring their stories continue to shape future generations.'
The Nov. 4 concert will feature music drawn from Holocaust-era collections and performed by a diverse roster of musicians and artists. Confirmed participants include:
- Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Justin Jesso
- Grammy Award-winning singer Regina Belle
- Singer-songwriter Brenda Russell
- Actor Paul Ben-Victor
Additional performers and presenters will be announced.
Each production also brings together civic, cultural and faith leaders who share the stories behind the music and invite audiences to reflect on the enduring lessons of the Holocaust. Together, the performances encourage conversations about human dignity, resilience, moral responsibility and the importance of confronting antisemitism, hatred and dehumanization wherever they occur.
The Southern California performance marks the first concert presented under the new partnership. Vanderbilt and We Are Here expect to announce additional performances and educational initiatives as the collaboration develops, expanding opportunities for students and communities to engage history through music, dialogue and shared learning.
The Nov. 4 concert will begin at 7 p.m. at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Tickets are expected to go on sale in August. Information and ticket alerts are available at wearehereconcert.com.
ABOUT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, and a global hub for learning, innovation and leadership. Founded in 1873 to help heal a nation divided by the Civil War, Vanderbilt continues to prepare leaders who strengthen communities through discovery, dialogue and service. Its 11 schools and colleges offer more than 65 undergraduate majors and a full range of graduate and professional degrees. Vanderbilt is home to groundbreaking interdisciplinary research and a community dedicated to free expression, civil discourse and academic excellence.
ABOUT WE ARE HERE: SONGS FROM THE HOLOCAUST
We Are Here: Songs from the Holocaust is a concert experience featuring music written in the ghettos and concentration camps of Nazi-occupied Europe, interwoven with the true stories of the writers' lives. Created by composer and music producer Ira Antelis, the production brings together musicians, actors and civic and faith leaders to honor the creativity, resilience and humanity of artists murdered during the Shoah. The production has been presented at venues including Carnegie Hall, The Salt Shed in Chicago and Vanderbilt University.
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