PRESS: Exilmusik: An Evening of Music and Song Honoring Margaret Darby

Exilmusik: An Evening of Music and Song Honoring Margaret Darby
Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Barthelmes Auditorium, German Society of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA – The German Society of Pennsylvania invites the public to a moving and memorable evening of Exilmusik on Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 PM in the Barthelmes Auditorium. This special concert honors the life and legacy of Margaret Darby, a devoted member and supporter of the society whose passions for language and music left a lasting impact.

Exilmusik explores compositions born from rupture and resilience. During the 1930s and 1940s, groundbreaking composers such as Arnold Schoenberg, Kurt Weill, and Hanns Eisler were forced to flee Nazi Germany. In exile, however, their creativity endured and evolved, producing powerful music shaped by themes of loss, longing and renewal.

The May 14 program features German tenor Michael Müller-Kasztelan and pianist Stefan Bone, both affiliated with the Kammerorchester der Grossregion (KOG), a pan-European orchestra based in Saarbrücken. They will be joined by Philadelphia-based cellist Ulrich Boeckheler and perform works by Schoenberg, Weill, Eisler, as well as other performances reflecting artistic approaches to cope with the loss of home.

This concert is a tribute to Margaret Darby, whose lifelong dedication to language and music makes a Liederabend (song recital) a particularly fitting tribute. The visiting German musicians share a connection to Saarbrücken, the city where Margaret began her studies in German, marking the start of her distinguished career as a simultaneous interpreter.

Through this evening of music, the German Society celebrates Margaret Darby’s legacy and her vision of cultural exchange. Her generous bequest continues to support the society’s mission to explore, preserve and celebrate the German-American experience.

This event is free and open to the public. A suggested donation of $20 is encouraged.

For more information, please visit the website of the German Society of Pennsylvania.

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