Overture of hope: a first Wednesday musical event

Two sisters’ daring plan that saved opera’s Jewish stars from the Third Reich—in words and music!

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About the Event

The Coffee House Club is thrilled to have award-winning journalist Isabel Vincent back again to celebrate her recent book Overture of Hope—this time as a musical event in collaboration with pianist Kathleen Landis and opera singer Jane Thorngren.

Thanks to Nancy Winston for curating our First Wednesday Musical Events Series.

Dinner

If you plan to stay for dinner, and would like to have the prix-fixe, you may pre-pay when RSVP-ing via Eventbrite to guarantee your prix-fixe meal reservation or order from the prix-fixe when you come in. Otherwise, you are welcome to order from the a la carte menu (wine is not included when ordering a la carte). Thank you!

About the Book

Overture of Hope: Two Sisters’ Daring Plan That Saved Opera’s Jewish Stars from the Third Reich is the story of two British sisters—one a dowdy typist, the other a soon-to-be famous romance novelist. One shared passion for opera. With prospects for marriage and families of their own cut down by the scythe of World War I, the Cook sisters have thrown themselves into their love of music, with frequent pilgrimages to Germany and Austria to see their favorite opera stars perform. But now with war clouds gathering and harassment increasing, the stars of Continental opera, many of whom are Jewish, face dark futures under the boot heel of the Nazis.

You can learn more about the book and buy your copy here.

About the Speaker

Isabel Vincent is an investigative reporter and author of seven non-fiction books, including the bestselling memoir “Dinner with Edward: A Story of an Unexpected Friendship.” She is a former foreign correspondent in Latin America and Africa, and the winner of several distinctions for her work, including the Yad Vashem Award for Holocaust History and the National Jewish Book Award (Canada).

About the Performers

From Manhattan’s elegant Café Pierre and Four Seasons Hotel to Carnegie Hall, pianist/vocalist Kathleen Landis continues to delight both longtime and new audiences with her extensive repertoire and interpretive musicianship. Kathleen combines her life-long study and performance of classical repertoire with her other musical side, jazz improvisation, creating her concert and club selections from that specialized repertoire as well as the Great American Songbook.

After growing up on a farm in Iowa, Jane Thorngren over time, found herself appearing extensively as a soprano in leading operatic roles and on concert stages throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America and Asia. She has been heard in two Live from Lincoln Center broadcasts with New York City Opera: in the title role of The Merry Widow and as Musetta in the Emmy-winning La Bohème. Her extensive oratorio experience includes appearances with the symphonies of Pittsburgh, Seattle, Phoenix, Savannah, Hartford, Denver, Toronto and Ottawa, and chamber orchestras of New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland and Stamford as well as orchestras in Germany, The Netherlands, France, Japan, Hong Kong and Armenia.

Jane has recorded a collection of art songs on her own CD, This and My Heart. She holds degrees in music from Drake University and the University of Southern California.