In a remarkable musical development, Canadian cellist and composer, Margaret Maria Tobolowska, has just dedicated a new cello composition – “Her Storm” – to Dr Lotta Hitschmanova.

The song for Lotta appears on a new CD project called “Heroines in Harmony”:

“Dedicated to all women and girls who bravely live their truth. You are the ones who have and will change the world for the better. Each track honours and celebrates a Canadian woman who inspires me.”

Why dedicate a piece to Lotta, a World War II refugee who found a new home in Canada?

“The displacement of immigrants and the horrors that many refugees have endured is depicted in this music. It is the storm that emerges from within the female spirit that has been beaten, abused, ignored and in many cases left for dead, without an afterthought. It is the storm I imagine when I hear stories of cruelty to women and girls all around the world. This is what that storm feels like.”

I’ve had a listen to “Her Storm”, and it is indeed a very powerful musical expression of the horrors that refugees can experience. Thank you Margaret Maria!

You can click here to purchase the CD or to listen to excerpts. And for a fascinating interview of Margaret Maria by Artsfile’s Peter Robb, click here.

David Rain