Pursuing Our History: Researching When Ancestors are Gone

A generation has been darkened by the Holocaust’s long shadow. Many of us have embarked on a quest to learn about our history, often to uncover and make meaning of a fraught upbringing and its effects. Learn how Janet Horvath has unearthed the story of her family, exploring truths of the past and discovering relatives who were once unknown.

Janet was the associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra for three decades. She has appeared as soloist with orchestra, and in recital and chamber music throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. She earned her master’s degree in music performance from Indiana University. Since leaving the orchestra in 2010, she has focused on writing, completing her MFA in creative writing from Hamline University. She has completed a new manuscript, Piercing the Silence, a true story of her parents' experiences, their return to life, of human resilience, and music’s life-bringing and healing power.