The classical composer Béla Bartók is perhaps most famous in the music world for having incorporated elements of folk music into his work, a practice that earned him the title of “father of ethnomusicology.” However, attitudes of ethnic elitism in Occupied Europe made it difficult for his projects to flourish there. Bartók became an outspoken critic of antisemitic laws in Hungary and fled to the US during World War II. This event presents two talks and a listening workshop that will help participants understand and appreciate the legacy of Bartók and other classical musicians who resisted antisemitism and fascism in the 1930s and 40s. Guest speakers include Dr. Amy Hudnall (Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies), Dr. Jacob Kopcienski (Musicology), and Dr. Darci Gardner (Languages, Literatures, and Cultures). This event is free and open to the public. It is the kickoff event of a three-part series titled, “Bridging the Divide between Classical Music and Folk Traditions: Béla Bartók’s Legacy,” organized by High Country Humanities with the support of a grant from North Carolina Humanities. Attendees may use the College Street parking deck next to Belk Library free of charge from 5:00 pm until the end of the event.
All event dates and times are listed as they were submitted to NC Humanities. We recommend reaching out to the event organization listed to confirm details. Have an event to submit? Please click here to add your upcoming events to our calendar. Please note that ‘Organizer’ on the Submit Event page refers to the host organization and not the individual planning the event. If you have submitted an event and need to make changes or updates please email nch@nchumanities.org. Thank you!
Subscribe to receive our e-newsletters so you can stay up to date with all news and events.
© North Carolina Humanities 2025. North Carolina Humanities (NCH) is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions, opinions, or recommendations expressed by our partners and participants do not necessarily represent those of NCH or the NEH. Institutional support for NCH is provided in part by the NEH and generous individuals across North Carolina.
