Local pianist and composer Chris Miggells is hosting a special candlelit concert commemorating the extraordinary legacy of young composer Gideon Klein, who continued to create music despite being imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps.

It will be held at The National Holocaust Centre and Museum, on Sunday, 1st December.

Klein’s manuscripts survived against all odds, carried at life-threatening risk by those who safeguarded them. His story is a powerful testament to resilience, courage, and the triumph of the human spirit through art.

Chris Miggells will perform a new composition inspired by Klein’s 1943 Piano Sonata, written in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp. Commissioned earlier this year, this moving piece brings Klein’s hauntingly beautiful themes into a contemporary context.

“It’s an honour to pay tribute to Gideon Klein through this performance,” said Chris. “His music reminds us of the extraordinary strength of the human spirit, even in the darkest of times.”

The concert will also feature a unique collaboration with author and poet laureate Richard C. Bower, combining piano and poetry in an evocative exploration of memory, survival, and the enduring power of creativity.

The venue will be illuminated by 80 candles, marking the upcoming 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. Each candle will serve as a poignant reminder of those who endured the Holocaust and the importance of reflecting on its lessons, particularly in today’s world.

“This is more than a concert—it’s an invitation to remember, reflect, and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit,” Chris added. “These lessons of our past are becoming more urgent than ever in a world which still seems to grapple with conflict and division.”