Explore scores and sound samples

Composers persecuted in WWII

During the Second World War, many composers were persecuted by the Nazi’s, because they either had a Jewish background or refused to comply with Nazi rules. Their music was banned from all public performance. The Leo Smit Foundation, founded in 1996, is committed to regain this music.

In more than 200 concerts, we’ve brought to life music that was lost and forgotten. With this website, we share with musicians, programmers and music lovers worldwide what we’ve found, starting with music from composers who lived and worked in the Netherlands.

Here you can search for composers, works for various instrumentations or vocal repertoire. Find scores, look at manuscripts and listen to sound samples.

featured composer

Samuel Schuijer (1873 - 1942)

On December 11, 1942, Samuel Schuijer was murdered in Auschwitz. His home and music school had been plundered by the Nazis. With the loss of his life and destruction of his belongings, all traces of this significant Dutch musician seemed to be erased. But a group of children in The Hague found a box containing music manuscripts, waiting for the garbage truck. They took their treasure home and it became the first step in rediscovering a lost fragment of Dutch music history. by Carine Alders more

new additions

January 29, 2026

Henriëtte Bosmans

Poème
26 March 1920
January 23, 2026

Paul Hermann

Deuxième Quatuor à cordes
à Monsieur le chanoine Louis Ollier en hommage profondement respectueux I. Moderato assai - Toulouse, 13 July 1941 II. Presto - Toulouse, 19 July 1941 III. Lento ma non troppo - Toulouse, 1 July 1942 IV. Allegretto - Toulouse, 14 July 1942 V. Allegro vivo - Toulouse, September 1942
January 21, 2026

Géza Frid

Duo für Violine und Violoncelle Kan-Ti

Sonata da Camera per flauto e arpa op. 42 - Marius Flothuis

play continuously

Molto tranquillo Vivace Lento Allegro comodo Amsterdam

Support this site

Are you happy with the attention we pay to this almost forgotten music? Consider a donation to help us continue and expand this collection.

U.S.-based donors may support our activities in a tax-efficient way through a contribution to the Leo Smit Fund at the Netherland-America Foundation, Inc. Because the NAF is a public charity, within the meaning of Sections 501 (c)(3) and 509 (a)(1) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, donors may claim the tax benefits allowed by U.S. tax law for their contributions.

Please visit http://thenaf.org/leo-smit-foundation for more information.

Search this site

Read about composers

Biographies in English, written by specialist authors and experienced researchers.

Search compositions

Browse through work lists or search by instrumentation, duration or genre. Find published scores, manuscripts and sound samples.

Find recordings

Recording information is linked to composers’ biographies as well as to individual compositions.

Forbidden Music Regained

Carousel