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"They Hadn't Heard Anything About Yiddish or Klezmer": Bringing my Music to Iceland

Polina Markovna Shepherd, Yiddish performer, composer, and choir leader, reflects on her trip to Iceland with a choir group. She describes the exchange of knowledge and culture, and the amazing, advanced, creative music they were able to create toget...

Velvel Pasternak

Velvel Pasternak, z"l, musicologist, composer, arranger, conductor, and major publisher of Jewish music, was interviewed by Hankus Netsky at his home in Cedarhurst, NY on August 15, 2011. Velvel, born in Toronto, Ontario in 1933, could play piano by...

2011-08-15

But is it Klezmer? Rock, Jazz, Punk, Hip-hop, and Techno Bring New Sounds to the Jewish Mix

Michael Winograd

Michael Winograd, lauded Brooklyn-based klezmer clarinet player, was interviewed by Pauline Katz on August 24, 2011 at KlezKanada in the Laurentian Mountains of Canada. Michael begins his interview by briefly describing his family as half Russian an...

2011-08-25

Benjamin Fox-Rosen

Benjamin (Benjy) Fox-Rosen, klezmer and improvisational musician, was interviewed by Pauline Katz on December 30, 2010 at KlezKamp in the Catskills of New York State. The interview begins with an in-depth exploration of his family's history. His fath...

2010-12-30

Andy Statman

Andy Statman, acclaimed Bluegrass mandolinist and Klezmer clarinetist, was interviewed by Christa Whitney on July 17, 2017 at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. Andy grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens in a multi-ethnic neighborhood w...

2017-07-17

Georg Brinkmann

Georg Brinkmann, klezmer musician and teacher, was interviewed by Franziska Seehausen on July 26, 2017 in Bonn, Germany.

2017-07-26

Daniel Brenner

Daniel Brenner, Rabbi and creator of Klezmer Aerobics, was interviewed by Christa Whitney on June 25th, 2019 in Montclair, New Jersey.

2019-06-25

The Mysteries of Jewish Music

Henri Oppenheim, klezmer musician based in Montreal, responds to the question, "How did you feel hearing klezmer for the first time?"

"That's the best song I ever heard"

Sruli Dresdner recalls playing Klezmer music in a mostly Hispanic school in Queens with his wife, Klezmer musician Lisa Mayer.

Understand a Language to Understand the Soul

Henri Oppenheim, klezmer musician based in Montreal, speaks to his experience of learning Yiddish to inform his exploration and work with klezmer music.

Everything Matters

Christian Dawid - Berlin-based, world-renowned klezmer clarinet player - gives advice to future generations of klezmer musicians, advising them to be curious about everything.

Musical Stories

Christian Dawid - Berlin-based, world-renowned klezmer clarinet player - describes why he likes Klezmer music and what is special about folk music in general.

Mentors in Jewish Music: the Epstein Brothers and Sydney Beckerman

Peter Sokolow, a full-time professional musician active in the klezmer revival, discusses his biggest mentors, including his own father as well as famous klezmer musicians such as the Epstein Brothers and Sydney Beckerman.

Jew as a Profession

Efim Chorny discusses the changes that have occurred in the klezmer world since he first became active in the community. He explains that it is more professional, but that some people in the klezmer community have the profession of "Jew."

"I'm the only one without a grandmother on stage"

Christian Dawid - Berlin-based, world-renowned klezmer clarinet player - remembers playing the Lodz program with the Klezmer group Brave New World and thinking that he may be the first German to play these songs.

Waiting for Godot in Jenin

Frank London - founding member of the Klezmatics and Frank London's All-Star Klezmer Brass Ensemble - discusses his upcoming work in Israel with the klezmer group Marsh Dondurma and the political piece he wrote for them about a theater production of...

Benjamin Fox-Rosen's Advice to Young Musicians

Benjamin Fox-Rosen, klezmer musician, gives some advice to future generations of musicians.