“When you think of ‘music history,’ you probably think of something dry, cold, and unemotional. Music historian James A. Grymes will change your mind.”
– Westchester Magazine
James A. Grymes is a critically acclaimed author and storyteller who frequently appears as a public speaker at libraries, museums, synagogues, and universities, as well as prominent venues such as the Center for Jewish History, United Nations Headquarters, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. An internationally respected musicologist, he has been featured in interviews by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, and CNN.
He is the author of Violins of Hope: Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour (Harper Perennial, 2014). A stirring testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of music, Violins of Hope tells the remarkable stories of violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust, and of the Israeli violinmaker dedicated to bringing these inspirational instruments back to life. The book, which composer John Williams described as “one of the most moving chronicles in the history of Western music,” presents a new way of understanding the Holocaust. Violins of Hope won a National Jewish Book Award.
Dr. Grymes’s most recent book is Partisan Song: A Holocaust Story of Resilience, Resistance, and Revenge. An inspirational tale of survival, defiance, and heroism, Partisan Song is the untold true story of Moshe Gildenman, a Jewish civil engineer and musician who led one of the most successful partisan units in the guerrilla war to liberate Ukraine from Nazi occupation during World War II. The book challenges the “passive victim” trope, sheds new light on the activities of Jewish partisans, and highlights the role of cultural identity in resistance.
He lives in Charlotte, NC, where he is Professor of Musicology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is represented by John Rudolph of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
Dr. Grymes is available for book readings, speaking engagements, and other types of presentations. Please see Events for more information.
