Sep 7, 2018 By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read

Among Europe’s more prominent young composers heading into the 1930s were Viktor Ullmann and Erwin Schulhoff, and if you never have heard of them, you’re in the vast majority.

Both were Jewish. Both died in Nazi concentration camps. And although the work of each has been perpetuated to some degree, neither is as well known today as he otherwise might have been.

Enter the Clarion Quartet, a group of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians whose debut album, “Breaking the Silence,” features the music of Ullmann and Schulhoff along with their contemporary, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who managed to escape from Austria and continue his career in the United States.

“The whole premise is that they represent the music of composers who have been oppressed or silenced,” Jane Elliott explained. “It’s such an interesting approach to their music, and it is certainly in keeping with what a Unitarian Universalist church tries to promote, which is social justice.”

Elliott is a coordinator of the Sunnyhill Live! performance series at Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills in Mt. Lebanon, which hosts the Clarion Quartet on Oct. 11. The series launched last year with the opening of a new 220-seat sanctuary, which is used for community events along with church-related activities.

Singer, songwriter and violinist Gaelynn Lea opens the series at 7 p.m. Sept. 10 in support of her recently released third album, “Learning How to Stay.” Also on the schedule this fall are concerts by Amelia White on Nov. 10, the Diamante Trìo with Lilly Abreu on Nov. 16, and Christopher Mark Jones and the Roots Ensemble on Dec. 1.

The venue offers a casual, family-friendly environment for audiences in the heart of the South Hills.

“All of the performers are accessible for kids. There’s nothing that a parent has to worry about: Should I bring my 8- or 10-year-old to the performance?” Elliott said.

“It’s sort of a nice alternative to packing everybody up and going Downtown.”

She and Jay Thornton, who handles booking and artist relations, coordinate a core group of volunteers in putting together Sunnyhill Live! They’re in the process of scheduling further performances in January through May, by artists from Western Pennsylvania and beyond.

“Jay has really investing a lot of time and energy in establishing networks and getting to know people,” Elliott explained, “So when opportunities arise to bring in somebody from outside of Pittsburgh, we really want to take advantage of that.”

For example, White is based in musical mecca Nashville, Tenn., and has had a good measure of success in the United Kingdom. She comes to Mt. Lebanon with a healthy résumé of accolades – drawing comparisons to the likes of Lucinda Williams, Tom Ryan Adams, Steve Earle and the late Tom Petty – and a new album to the U.S. market, “Rhythm of the Rain.”

“When we had the opportunity for Amelia White, we just couldn’t say no,” Elliott said. “And so we worked with her and found a date that works for her and for us.”

She and the other volunteers are excited that performers of such caliber are agreeable to bookings at the relatively small venue.

“I think it makes for a great experience, both for the artist and for the audience, and everyone has always been so willing and gracious to talk to audience members after the performances,” she said. “You really don’t get that in other places.”

For more information, visit www.sunnyhill.org.