Berlin · 1880–1944
James Simon was a German-Jewish composer whose music belonged to the city’s rich cultural life—until it was silenced.
Born in Berlin in 1880, Simon wrote with a distinctive lyricism and a searching, intimate voice. His music moved between chamber works, songs, orchestral music, and works for the stage.
In 1944, he was murdered in Auschwitz. Much of his work disappeared from public life. The James Simon Project is dedicated to restoring his music to the concert hall and to the cultural memory it deserves.
“To listen again is to make a space for a voice history tried to erase.”
Tamar Sagiv first encountered James Simon’s music through his Arioso for solo cello — a work that had remained largely unheard for decades. Simon’s story also carried a deeply personal resonance: members of Sagiv’s own family were murdered in Theresienstadt, where Simon was deported in 1944.
She first performed the Arioso at the Center for Jewish History in 2023, and later that year at Carnegie Hall, beginning a journey that would grow from a single forgotten work into a larger project devoted to bringing Simon’s music back to the stage, the recording studio, and new audiences.
Through performance, research, and recording, two longtime collaborators are carrying Simon’s music forward.
Scroll to meet them
Cellist · composer
Tamar Sagiv is a New York-based Israeli cellist and composer whose work bridges performance, composition, and musical storytelling. Her debut album, Shades of Mourning, was recognized by NPR Music and BBC Music Magazine.
After first discovering Simon’s Arioso as a student, Sagiv began a personal and artistic commitment to his work. She initiated the James Simon Project and leads its artistic development.
Visit Tamar’s website ↗Pianist
Vladimir Rumyantsev is a pianist whose collaboration with Tamar Sagiv began at Mannes School of Music. Their enduring musical partnership has carried them across a wide repertoire and into the heart of the James Simon Project.
Together, Sagiv and Rumyantsev are recording Simon’s works for cello and piano with Sono Luminus—giving these pieces a new home in the present.
Visit Vladimir’s website ↗
Manhattan, New York
2026
Doors 6:30 PM · Program 7:00 PM
Join Tamar Sagiv and Vladimir Rumyantsev for wine, conversation, and an intimate one-hour program of music from their forthcoming James Simon album.
They will share Simon’s story and the work of bringing his largely forgotten compositions back to audiences. The evening will conclude with an introduction to the James Simon Project fundraising campaign.
Capacity is limited.
RSVP with Tamar Sagiv ↗The next chapter
Support will help make the album release, performances, research, and preservation of Simon’s legacy possible.
A note about your gift
To ensure that your contribution reaches the James Simon Project, please note “James Simon Project” with your donation.
Contributions to the James Simon Project through Elysium – Between Two Continents are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Thank you for helping us bring James Simon’s music back to life.
Artistic & historical partner
Founded in 1983, Elysium – Between Two Continents is a transatlantic performing arts organization dedicated to rediscovering artists persecuted and silenced by the Nazi regime.
Alongside The Lahr von Leïtis Academy & Archive, Elysium creates a vital conversation between Europe and the United States—using art to confront antisemitism, racism, and the trivialization of the Holocaust.
As artistic, historical-research, and cultural partner to this project, Elysium helps bring the music of James Simon back into the light.
Learn about Elysium ↗Ellie Cohen-Mintz is a high school junior whose great-grandparents escaped the Holocaust. Her family history inspires her involvement in the James Simon Project, where she supports Holocaust education through music and helps bring survivors’ stories to future generations.