Herbert Zipper

Herbert Zipper was a multifaceted figure in the music world, excelling as a composer, conductor, and arts activist. His life took a dramatic turn in the late 1930s when he was incarcerated at Dachau concentration camp. Despite the harsh conditions, Zipper's passion for music endured, and he managed to arrange for the creation of makeshift instruments from pilfered materials. With these crude instruments, he formed a secret orchestra that would perform on Sunday afternoons, bringing solace to his fellow inmates.

After his release from Dachau in 1939, Zipper embarked on a new chapter in his life, accepting an invitation to conduct the Manila Symphony Orchestra. However, his time in the Philippines was marked by another period of incarceration, this time at the hands of the Japanese occupiers. Following his release, Zipper worked clandestinely with the Allies, transmitting vital shipping information via radio. In 1946, he emigrated to the United States, where he continued to pursue his passion for music, conducting the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and advocating for music education. Through his remarkable journey, Zipper demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the power of music to uplift and inspire, even in the darkest of times.