Kaffee und Kuchen
March 9, 2025 |
1:30 pm -
3:30 pm
FREE
The German American Heritage Center & Museum and The Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities areย pleased to present soprano Lily Arbisser and esteemed French pianist Dimitri Malignan in the recitalย โFriendship: Connections in New Lands.โ
Inspiredย by Oranit Ben Zimraโs photography exhibitionย Mit dir bin ich ich/With You, I Am Myselfย currently onย view at the GAHC+M, the recital similarly investigates friendship, how it strengthens us and knows noย borders. Audiences will be treated to a program featuring the music of: Arnold Schoenberg and hisย friend George Gershwin; and Dmitri Shostakovich and dear friend Mieczysลawย Weinberg. Theseย friendships developed after Weinberg and Schoenberg were forced to emigrate (the former fromย Poland to Minsk; the latter from Austria to Los Angeles) due to the anti semitic atmosphere in theirย respective countries before and during World War II. Please join us for this celebration of friendship.
1:30 refreshments
2:00 program
FREE and open to the public. Donations appreciated.
RSVP HERE
This program is sponsored by the Scott County Regional Authority.
About the performers:
Photo:ย Arielle Doneson
A native Quad Citizen and frequent soloist in the area, Lily Arbisser is anย โindividual-timbred sopranoโ (Opera News) whose voice โfloats effortlesslyโย (www.feastofmusic.com) over the orchestra. Highlights of recent seasonsย include joining Raviniaโs Steans Music Institute in Chicago as a vocal fellow,ย being a semi-finalist in the Kurt Weill Foundationโs prestigious Lotte Lenyaย Competition, and winning first prize in the National Federation of Music Clubsโย Biennial Young Artist Competition. In addition to frequent appearances as aย soloist on oratorio and operatic stages, Lily is dedicated to the art of the recital,ย performing beloved songs from the traditional canon alongside lesser-known
works. In 2025, she is thrilled to be on stage with friend and collaborator Dimitriย Malignan and his โMissing Voicesโ project, and she also appears as Amour inย Gluckโs โOrphรฉe et Eurydiceโ in New York City, as well as sings the soprano soloย in Faurรฉโs โRequiemโ with The Choral Society of the Hamptons. Lilyโs artistry isย grounded in the understanding gained from studying in theย Libero Canto TM ย School of Singingย withย her teachers Deborah Carmichael and Kinga Cserjรฉsi. Libero Canto is a process-oriented approachย which holds that the body instinctually knows how to sing but is frequently blocked by psycho-ย social factors that inhibit freer singing. Lily graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa fromย Princeton University with a Bachelor of the Arts in Art and Archaeology and a Certificate in Vocalย Performance. She holds a Master of Music degree from Mannes College. When not singing, she canย be found outdoors cultivating her passion for ecological restoration and native plant gardening.
www.lilyarbisser.com
Photo:ย Julien Hanck
Brilliant young French pianistย Dimitriย Malignanย impressesย juries, critics, and the public with his level of maturity, hisย musical intelligence, and great sensibility. Winner at only 19ย years of age of the Prix Cortot 2017, he was awarded in 2021ย the 3rd Prize as well as the Audience Award and the Bachย Award at the Concours Musical International deย Montreฬal.ย Dimitriย performs in concert venues around theย world and has also recorded multiple CDs as both a soloistย and a chamber musician, including two new releases inย 2024: one dedicated to Pรกl Hermann (Toccataย Classics), andย another entitled โElegies and Echoesโ with soprano Elizavetaย Agrafenina (Sheva Collection). Two new albums will be published in 2025, with music by Henriรซtteย Bosmans and Dan Belinfante (Editions Hortus).ย Dimitriย is passionate about promoting unknownย music. In 2020, he initiated the โMissing Voicesโ project, dedicated to Jewish composers who wereย murdered in the Shoah and curates concerts, CD recordings, and exhibitions.ย Dimitriย began hisย piano studies at the age of 5 with Nicolas Horvath. He has since studied with several masters ofย diverse backgrounds and in multiple countries and holds degrees fromย Theย รcole Normale deย Musique de Parisย “Alfred Cortot,โย where he studied under Ludmila Berlinskaya, and the Conservatoryย of Amsterdam (the Netherlands), where he studied with Naum Grubert. He is currently in theย prestigious class of Benedetto Lupo at the Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome (Italy). His 2025 concertย season includes performances at theย European Parliament in Brussels, theย Goethe-Institut in Paris,ย theย Museum of Musical Instruments in Rome, and a South-East Asian Tour in the Fall.ย ย Dimitri hasย been regularly practicing Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Feldenkrais for many years. He is convinced of theirย beneficial aspects for a healthy musicianship. He is also passionate about tennis and aviation and isย often to be found training on flight simulators.
Our next Cyanotype Workshop is coming up on September 7th! Learn this early form of photography with a few simple materials and create your own prints with materials provided. Register at the link in our bio.
Long before digital cameras, scientists and artists captured the world in a striking shade of blue. The cyanotype process, invented in 1842 by English chemist Sir John Herschel, used light-sensitive iron salts to create vivid blue and white images. Best known today for its use in early โblueprintsโ and the delicate botanical prints of Anna Atkins, cyanotype was quickly embraced across Europe, including by German photographers and scientists eager to explore its artistic and practical potential. By the late 19th century, German experimenters such as Henry Bosse advanced studies of photographic chemistry, paving the way for cyanotypeโs role as both a scientific tool and an expressive medium.
Henry Bosse immigrated to the United States and worked in Rock island as a cartographer and draughtsman. He also worked on taking cyanotype photographs on the Mississippi River Valley.
๐ We are still seeking vendors for our Fall Market on September 27th!
๐ We are looking for local, handmade, unique items. Email [email protected] or call 563-322-8844 to receive an application form.
Herbstmarkt Fall Vendor Fair
*We will never ask for money over platforms like Facebook. Speak to a staff member directly if you have questions or if you suspect a scam.
There is only 1 week left to enjoy free admission for active military!
The German American Heritage Center and Museum is a Blue Star Museum. Active military and their families can enjoy free admission now until Labor Day.
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.
For a complete list of Blue Star Museums nationwide, click visit https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museum-map
#BlueStarMuseum #BlueStarFamilies
Now Hiring: Paid Tour Guides for the โDarker Side of Davenportโ Walking Tours
๐ป Share chilling tales of crime and the paranormal in downtown Davenport!
The German American Heritage Center and Museum is looking for engaging and reliable tour guides to lead our popular Darker Side of Davenport Walking Tours. These evening tours take guests through the heart of downtown, sharing true stories of historic crime, mystery, and paranormal activity.
๐ถ As a guide, you will:
– Lead groups along a 1.5-mile walking route, stopping at select downtown locations tied to the cityโs darker past.
– Present well-researched, engaging stories in a theatrical and informative way.
– Represent the German American Heritage Center with professionalism and enthusiasm.
Skills Required:
– Comfortable with extended periods of walking and standing.
– Strong public speaking and storytelling abilities.
– Training and historical background information will be provided.
๐ต Compensation:
$60 per tour
๐๏ธ Tour Dates:
Friday October 24th, Saturday October 25th, and Friday October 31st.
๐ How to Apply:
Send a letter of interest to [email protected].
Applicants will be contacted to schedule a brief interview.
Bring Davenportโs haunted history to lifeโif you dare.
We are a couple weeks away from our first film in our series at the The Last Picture House!
๐ฅ From Hitler to Hollywood: Film Series at the Last Picture House.
Step into the dramatic world of 1930s Hollywood, where the silver screen became a beacon of hope and resistance. As the Nazi regime took hold in Germany, more than 800 filmmakers, directors, actors, technicians, and artists, fled persecution and found refuge in Los Angeles. United by their love of cinema and a determination to survive, these exiles became a vibrant creative community, supporting each other through hardship and forging new pathways in American film.
Stay after each film for an optional Q&A session about the films and actors.
September 3rd – Sunset Boulevard
September 10th – The Big Heat
September 17th – Shanghai Express
September 24th – From Here to Eternity
October 1st – Casablanca*
3 pm or 6 pm showing
*Guests with the 5 film pass must choose one of the two showings.
Films are $15 each or get a 5 film pass for a discount:
GAHC and LPH Members โ $50
General Public โ $60
Get Tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house
Guests will choose their seats upon arrival. Make sure to check in at the GAHC+M table in the lobby.
Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the German American Heritage Center and Museum`s programming.
The 19th Amendment went into effect on August 18, 1920, giving women the right to vote in the United States. Today we highlight Wilhelmine Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett: the powerhouse behind Hawaiiโs suffrage movement!
Born in 1861 in Lihue, Kauai, Dowsett came from a unique mix of heritage: her father, Hermann A. Widemann, was a German immigrant and coffee planter who served as a cabinet minister to Queen Liliสปuokalani, while her mother was a Native Hawaiian chieftess connected to the royal family. This blend of German and Hawaiian roots set the stage for Dowsettโs bridging work on behalf of all women.
After witnessing the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the annexation by the United States, Dowsett founded the National Womenโs Equal Suffrage Association of Hawaii (WESAH) in 1912, the first of its kind in the islands. Her efforts united women across backgrounds and faced down lawmakers, often leading groups of hundreds to demand โVotes for Womenโ right on the House floor!
Dowsettโs organization connected Hawaiiโs suffragists to influential national groups like the National American Woman Suffrage Association, making the islandsโ voices heard in the larger womenโs rights movement. Although she didnโt live to see Hawaii become a U.S. state, her activism paved the road for womenโs voting rights and inspired generations throughout the United States.
Wilhelmineโs legacy is one of cross-cultural leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to justiceโa true trailblazer for both Native Hawaiian and German-American women everywhere.
Photo: Wilhelmine with her father Hermann A. Widemann, c. 1881. Public Domain.
In honor of this year`s Bix Memorial weekend, we`re also celebrating local history with @davenportlibrary .
The Beiderbecke surname associated with Davenport Jazz Musician, Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke, was brought to Davenport in 1856 by his grandfather, Charles Beiderbecke.
Charles Beiderbecke partnered with Frank H. Miller to open Beiderbecke & Miller wholesale grocery business, once the largest wholesale business in the city. German Immigrants significantly contributed in Davenport`s economic history through businesses like this.
The Richardson-Sloane Collection at the Davenport Public Library generously shared the second photograph, an architecture drawing of the building. As well as provided newspaper advertisements in research for this post (not shown).
Today, the original building no longer stands, however, the memory of the Beiderbecke family is still celebrated on Second Street at the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and World Archive.
First photograph is from WikiMedia Commons.
Second photograph is from The Richard-Sloane Collection at the Davenport Public Library.
Third photograph is from the German American Heritage Center and Museum Collection.
We`re looking for a food vendor to serve our 1500+ guests at Oktoberfest Davenport!
๐ญ Brats preferred, but build your own menu to showcase what you do best!
๐ป 1500+ patrons in the heart of Downtown Davenport.
๐ถ Live music, German beer, family activities, and more.
๐ This will be a memorable event you don`t want to miss!
Saturday September 20th, 2025
12 – 7 pm
K-Square Park | 119 E 3rd St. Davenport, Iowa
Contact: 563-322-8844 or [email protected]
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