Click on a year above to view past concerts from 1986 to 2005
Saturday, March 9, 8:00pm
Shashmaqam Bukharan Jewish Ensemble
This Northern California premiere showcases the rich musical traditions of Uzbekistan, where Jewish and Muslim musicians have long co-existed in a flourishing cultural symbiosis. Much like klezmer links Eastern European Jewish musicians to the traditions of their Slavic and German neighbors, Shashmaqam’s repertoire reflects Central Asia’s ethnic diversity.
Shashmaqam’s music is one of the most fascinating and beautiful legacies of the Jewish Diaspora. Theodore Bikel.
Sponsored by an anonymous donor in loving memory of Alice Hamburg. In association with the Center for Traditional Music & Dance. Berkeley concert in association with the UC Berkeley Department of Near Eastern Studies.
Sunday, March 10, 8:00pm
Eyal Sela & Darma: Israeli World Music
One of the most influential Israeli artists in world music, Darma founder Eyal Sela has performed internationally, including at the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo. With Darma, he creates original contemporary music with an eclectic mix of traditional Eastern and Western instruments, ranging from the Turkish clarinet and Indian bamboo flutes to the Irish pennywhistle.
Sponsored by the Mickelson/Brody Family Foundation and the Consulate General of Israel.
In association with the UC Berkeley Music Department and the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties< .
Wednesday, March 13, 8:00pm
Healing in Hessen: Jewish Music Returns to a German Town
German virtuoso violinist Matthias Erbe performs works by Bloch, Bruch, Zimbalist, Zeitlin and others to benefit the renovation of a synagogue in Vöhl, a village in the state of Hessen, Germany. Purchased by the non-Jewish community there, the space will be used as a Jewish museum and cultural center. Featuring liturgical music from the German Jewish tradition sung by Cantor Stephen Saxon of the San Francisco Klezmer Experience.
Pre-concert talk at 7:00pm by Carol Davidson Baird, a Jewish genealogist whose grandparents were married in the synagogue.
Sponsored by Ursula Sherman and Edith S. Coliver.
In association with the SF Conservatory of Music and
the Goethe Institut Inter Nationes
Thursday, March 14, 7:30pm & Saturday, March 16, 8:00pm
Gerard Edery Ensemble: Music in the Land of Three Faiths
Winner of the 1997 Sephardic Heritage Award, Edery and his group present a fascinating mosaic of songs from the Golden Age of Spain, when Jews, Muslims and Christians forged a common musical language. The program features songs in Ladino, Hebrew, Arabic, Galician-Portuguese and Latin, and provides a historical context for the intermingling of cultures that took place before the 1492 Expulsion.
Sponsored by the Maurice Amado Foundation.
SF performance in association with USF Fine & Performing Arts Department, Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
Sunday, March 17, 3:00pm
New Yiddish Songs for the 21st Century
A major force in the Klezmer revival, Joshua Waletzky presents a riveting program of original music and Yiddish songs, with themes ranging from love to war. Featuring violinist Deborah Strauss and guitarist/mandolinist Jeff Warschauer of the celebrated Boston-based Klezmer Conservatory Band, with a special appearance by Bay Area choruses.
Sponsored by the Sophie & Arthur Brody Family Foundation.
Saturday, March 23, 8:00pm
Kitka has garnered international renown for its
a capella artistry and mastery of the demanding Balkan and Slavic vocal styles. Davka is acclaimed for its original blend of traditional Jewish melodies with Middle-Eastern rhythms, jazz
improvisations and classical technique. These Bay Area ensembles combine for their first collaborative concert, featuring the world premiere of a new work by Davka violinist/ composer Daniel Hoffman.
Sponsored by Leonard Merrill Kurz.
Sunday, March 24, 2:00pm
Soles on Fire: Community Klezmer Dance Party
Learn traditional bulgars, shers and freylekhs from internationally acclaimed Yiddish dance instructor Michael Alpert, klezmer revival pioneer and a founder of the famed ensemble Brave Old World… Dance to an all-star band led by fellow BOW members Kurt Bjorling and Stuart Brotman.
Sponsored by The Jewish Community Foundation, The Jewish Federation Fund for Jewish Learning & Culture, Ilene Weinreb in honor of Hilary Weinreb Jacobsen, and Gaia Fund..