Anagha Kapsi, PALCS 7th grader, is helping others figuratively speak through music. Anagha is involved in the Silent Voices Project, which evokes the ideas and words of children who lived and often died during the Holocaust through the music of contemporary children. The project aims to spread awareness that such inhumane acts should never be forgotten and never be repeated.
Anagha was 10 years old and in 5th grade when she composed an impressive piece for a string quartet called “Fear and Hope”. The piece is based on the poem “Fear”, written by Eva Pickova and included in the book I Never Saw Another Butterfly, a compilation of poems and artwork of children from the Terezin Concentration Camp near Prague.
Outside of PALCS, Anagha has been learning to play violin since the age of five at The Music School of Delaware’s Suzuki Program with Ms. Julianne Murphy-Ruiz. She loves composition, art, theatre, making movies and science. In May, she will perform at Carnegie Hall with students from her music school.
She is one of over a dozen young composers who have created music for the Silent Voices Project, thus far hailing from Philadelphia, Toronto, Waterloo, and Cleveland. The Ton Beau String Quartet, under the artistic direction of Blair faculty member Zachary Ebin, perform the trios and quartets.
Below, watch Anagha explain her piece, hear the original poem, and listen to the performance of “Fear and Hope” in Toronto. View on YouTube.
We are so honored to have Anagha represent PALCS. Thank you to all the young composers, the musicians, and all those involved in the project for your beautiful and moving works. The PALCS Community can listen to other pieces and support the Silent Voices Project through their website.
