“…one of New York’s most reliably exciting concert series…” New York Music Daily
We have been looking for a new space, and haven’t had many shows this past year, but we haven’t been inactive! Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to this past year:
Jan. 11, 2023 Klezmer In the Kitchen Vol. 1, featuring Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars w/Eleanor Reissa; Pete Rushefsky, Jake Shulman-Ment & Bob Cohen Trio; Eleanor Reissa Book Reading/Signing. At AMT Theater
Mar. 29, 2023 Klezmer Party/Variety Show at Town & Village Synagogue, featuring Josh Waletzky, Daniel Kahn, Jake Shulman-Ment, Sarah Larsson, Eleonore Weill
May 24, 2023 – Klezmer In the Kitchen Vol.2 Silent Film with Live Music by Alicia Svigals & Donald Sosin! The Man Without a World Alicia Svigals led a wonderful klezmer workshop prior to the film/performance at AMT Theater – 354 W.45th St. NYC.
NY Klezmer is also supporting Klezmer and Yiddish Culture Education, through partnering with Center for Traditional Music and Dance, Yiddish New York, Workers Circle, & Makom NY to support teachers bringing Klezmer Music through these programs.
We also commissioned video performances from Dobranotch, Zisl Slepovitch, Frank London, and Margot Leverett to be presented soon on Zoom.
Check out our appearance on TV Show “Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi”
About the New York Klezmer Series The NY Klezmer Series (NYKS) has presented music and dance in New York City weekly in a fall and spring season from Sept. 2010 until the pandemic in Mar. 2020. Each week, NYKS presented Concerts, Workshops, Jam Sessions as well as a monthly Tantshoyz – Yiddish Dance Party with live klezmer music. The series has been based in a few places over the years – First at the 6th St. Synagogue in the East Village, then at Stephen Wise on the UWS, for a few years at Jalopy in Brooklyn, and most recently at the Town & Village Synagogue on E.14th St.
The series has featured leading international and local performers in an intimate setting while celebrating, and educating musicians and the public on, vital (and often neglected) traditional and contemporary expressions of Yiddish culture.
The NY Klezmer Series is affiliated with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance and the Workers Circle.
NY Klezmer Series presented over 220 evenings presented in 10 years. We presented world class concerts, music and dance workshops, and open klezmer jam sessions in an intimate setting, in addition to providing education and a place for all to come and participate in this wonderful and often neglected part of Jewish, European and American Culture
Founded by Aaron Alexander and Rabbi Greg Wall, and inspired by the week-long Yiddish Culture events, Klez Kamp, Klez Kanada, YNY, and Trip to Yiddishland, the NY Klezmer Series aspires to present Yiddish cultural offerings in an intimate & respectful setting and allow the artists freedom to present their own vision.
What is Klezmer? Klezmer music is the instrumental party music of the Jewish People from Eastern Europe – (Ashkenazim). It’s origins are in the 16th century, and it has evolved and assimilated local influences (Russian, Romanian, Ottoman, Hungarian etc.) wherever Ashkenazim have lived since. It is essentially Yiddish music – the instrumental music of people who spoke (and speak) Yiddish. It came to America with the immigration of Jews from Eastern Europe beginning in late 19th century, and has had a wonderful history in America, where it also assimilated American music traditions. Hasidic nigunim (wordless melodies), Yiddish theater music, Yiddish Swing and Yiddish folk song are all related and will be represented at the series.
Tantsheiser (Dance Parties): Once a month or so we present a Tantshoyz – Yiddish dance party, with a Yiddish Dance specialist, and a professional dance band. Dance leaders have included Steve Weintraub, Michael Alpert, Zev Feldman, Avia Moore, Deborah Strauss, Eve Jochnowitz and Sarah Myerson.
We have a Klezmer Instrumental Workshop every week that we have a concert, often led by the concert artists of the day, or by Artistic Director Aaron Alexander. This workshop has been running for over seven years and has developed a devoted following. We work on repertoire, style, form, ornamentation, groove, arranging and more. Often the participants have an opportunity to play the current pieces at the jam session after the concert, further deepening their understanding of new material.
Concert artists have included: Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars, Alicia Svigals, The Tarras Band, Pete Sokolow’s “Klezmer Plus Trio”, Susan Leviton, Jordan Hirsch, Isaac Sadigursky, German Goldenshteyn Tribute Band w/Alex Kontorovich, Inna Barmash’s “Hindele”, Brian Glassman’s “Klezmer/Jazz Alliance”, Ichka & Siach HaSadeh from Montreal, Jordan Hirsch’s “Overnight Kugel”, Patrick Farrell, Elaine and Susan Hoffman-Watts, Michael Winograd, Yiddish Art Trio, Levitt Legacy Band, Strauss/Warschauer Duo, Jake Shulman-Ment, Margot Leverett & Klezmer Mountain Boys, Eve Sicular’s “Metropolitan Klezmer”, Christian Dawid, Zev Zions, Arkady Goldenshteyn, Benjy Fox-Rosen, Lisa n Sruli Family Band, Aaron Alexander’s Midrash Mish Mosh & The Klez Messengers, Dmitri Slepovitch & “Litvakus”, Levitt Legacy Band, The Rubin-Rushefsky-Greenman Trio (R2G), Lorin Sklamberg & David Ashkenazy, Klezmerfest with Greg Wall, Ezekiel’s Wheels (from Boston), Eleanor Reissa, Roger Davidson and Frank London, Mike Cohen Band, Breslev Bar Band, Polina Shepherd, Lauren Brody, Jake Shulman-Ment, Zev Feldman, Dena Ressler’s T-Klez, and many others.
We have been based in several different spaces over the years, including Sixth St. Community Synagogue, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, Mehanata, Zeb’s Place, Jalopy Theater, Funky Joe’s and our current home: Town & Village Synagogue.
We Need Your Support to Continue! Please click below for your tax-deductible contribution, thru CTMD:
THANK YOU!
Support for the NY Klezmer Series is provided by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency in partnership with Governor Andrew Cuomo.
