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Shoshana Damari
Israeli singer, popular in the 1950's-70's whose extraordinary vocal qualities helped define the new Israeli culture. She was originally from Yemen, and often incorporated folk song elements and style into her music. In 1988 she won the Israel Prize.
Galeet Dardashti
Vocalist. Comes from a long line of eminent Persian classical music Iranian singers and also cantors. Currently singing with Divahn a Middle Eastern and Sephardic group. Studying for PhD, Anthropology, University of Texas.
www.divahn.com
Deborah Davis
Soprano. First confirmed cantor in the Humanistic Jewish
movement. Specializes in singing in Yiddish, Ladino and Hebrew. Currently with Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble, based in San Diego, CA.
Susan Deikman
Singer, composer, Hebrew kirtan leader, educator. Leader in the international Music for People Organization, and teacher of voice, music improvisation and art. She teaches singing and leads drum circles. Susan is the creator of Mishpacha Music for children and their families. She is the founder of "Tone Deaf Choir" and has an instructional CD, "Toning for Tuning" for the Vocal Discovery Series. One of the originators of Hebrew kirtan which blends call and
response chanting of Hebrew text and names of God with joyous sound: a blend of voice, harmonium, and drums. Kirtan, Deikman states "is an ancient Hindu devotional chant form and is similar in its religious passion and intensity to African-American Gospel and Hasidic niggunim." Susan is known for her style of chanting. She states that she "offers you a powerful, direct, and personally transformative entry to God-realization." Susan teaches at Elat Chayyim, which is affiliated with the Jewish Renewal Movement.
Shulamith Doniach
Born in Russia around 1905. Composer and pianist. Lives in Israel.
Barbara Dowell
Born December 29, 1942 in Columbus, Ohio. Currently serving Congregation Ohev Israel, Newark, Ohio as cantorial soloist. Founder and director of Temple Beth Shalom's adult choir for thirteen years, The Sharyonim, and their children's choir Shir Chadash. She also served as the cantorial soloist for Kenyon College holiday services. She arranges choral musical selections, accompanying them on guitar. The Sharyonim recorded a selection of their repertoire, including three original compositions by Barbara, in May, 2002, entitled "The Sharyonim Sing." Copies of may be otained by contacting Barbara at barbara.dowell@pobox.com
Deborah Drattell
American. Born Brooklyn, NY. Opera Composer, conductor and professor of Comosition and Theory. Received PhD, University of Chicago. Currently director of New York City Opera 'showcasing American Composers.' Operas include Festival of Regrets, Lilith and A Captive Spirit. Other works include Eishes Chalyil and Letters Home.
Ellen Dreskin
American. Cantor. Born in Texas. Founding member of Beged Kefet, a musical Tzedakah collective. Graduated Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music in New York, 1986. Master in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University. Currently Associate Dean of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. First Cantor to be appointed to a full-time senior administrative position at the College-Institute, 1998. Served as Cantor and Educator at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, New York, and Fairmount Temple in Cleveland, Ohio, and as the spiritual leader of Chavurat Tikvah in Westchester County, New York. Ellen is married to Rabbi William Dreskin of Woodlands Community Temple.
Ellen Drobatschewski
Emigre German musician who survived WWII in hiding in France. In 1933 left Berlin for Luxembourg and lived there until the invasion of May, 1940. She Spent the war years in Marseilles and small villages around France, performing music, playing, knitting and working and frequently going into hiding or moving from place to place. Her two sons also survived the war as French soldiers. Drobatschewski describes her ordeal of survival in an article called "In Hiding" in Women of Exile: German-Jewish Autobiographies Since 1933, ed. by Adreas Lixl-Purcell.
Leonora Duarte
Born in Antwerp (now Belgium) July 28 1610. Died 1678. Portuguese-Jewish, (formerly marrano) from wealthy family with six children. Known to have been a composer and performing musician with other family members of the lute, viols and keyboard instruments. She wrote in the late Jacobean style. Her works for a group of 5 viols were called "symphonies". Her family were rich diamond merchants. Her father was baptised when Leonora was around 33 years old, but there is no information of any baptism for her mother Catharina Rodrigues. More information about Duarte, along with a bibliograpy, can be found in The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers. (p.150)
Jacqueline Du Pre
Born: January 26, 1945, Oxford, England. Died: October 19, 1987, London. Widely acclaimed cellist who died a premature death due to multiple sclerosis. Married to Daniel Barenboim. Convert to Judaism, 1967.