Het ontslag van de concertmeester: a podcast diptych about Sam Swaap, the concertmaster of the Residentie Orkest who was dismissed by order of the Nazis in 1941, can now be heard in the podcast series Muziek tot Leven from KRO-NCRV and NPO klassiek. The podcast was commissioned by the Residentie Orkest and created by presenter Lex Bohlmeijer.

🎧 In this diptych

• ...The first part outlines Sam Swaap's pre-war career as a musician. He was an amazing talent, receiving his first award at the age of ten. Swaap worked as an orchestral musician under conductors such as Mahler, Strauss and Toscanini, and was appointed concertmaster in The Hague in 1917. He held that position continuously until 1941.

• ...the second part zooms in further on the war years. The Jewish Swaap ended up in Theresienstadt via Westerbork. He survived that camp, and upon his return went back to work with the orchestra. Not for long. Relations were so badly disrupted that after a few years Swaap decided to leave the orchestra for good.