Composer Gerald Cohen felt a unique responsibility to bring the story of real people and events, particularly Holocaust survivors, to the opera stage.
Recording & Production
This album reunites many of the original cast, chorus, and orchestra members from the 2018 world premiere production by Opera Colorado, conducted by Maestro Ari Pelto.
Cultural Impact
The story of Jaap and Ina Polak, on which this opera is based, also inspired a documentary film of the same title, released in 2007.
Composition History
The opera's creators, Gerald Cohen and Deborah Brevoort, had the rare privilege of spending many hours speaking directly with Jaap and Ina Polak, the principal characters, during the creation process.
Composition History
Composer Gerald Cohen had a personal connection to the story, having known Jaap and Ina Polak, the real-life couple depicted in the opera, for many years.
Composition History
The opera "Steal a Pencil for Me" is based on the true love story of Jaap and Ina Polak, Holocaust survivors who passed secret letters to each other in concentration camps.
Composition History
The letters between Jaap and Ina Polak, which form the basis of the opera, were discovered by their daughter Margrit in their attic and later published as a book.
