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
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
German
virtuoso violinist Matthias Erbe performs works by Bloch, Bruch, Zimbalist,
Zeitlin and others to benefit the renovation of a synagogue in V–hl,
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
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 & Davka
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
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..