Washington Jewish Music Festival 2008

Washington Jewish Music Festival 2008
May 31 – June 8

Nine days of music, film and dialogue from an amazing variety of artists and musical styles. Visit www.wjmf.org for a full line-up and tickets.

The Ninth Annual Washington Jewish Music Festival celebrates and explores the wide spectrum of sounds and traditions that make up Jewish music. Throughout a nine-day festival, audiences will be able to hear a wide range of styles and influences that make up the richness of Jewish music. The Festival will feature David Buchbinder’s Odessa/Havana, an exciting Jewish-Cuban musical fusion; the Afro-Semitic Experience, showcasing the musical traditions of both Jewish and African diasporas; Beyond The Pale, presenting new klezmer music, fused with folk and roots; the silent film The Golem set to live music performed by Davka; the Sisters of Sheynville who swing in Yiddish; dance music and classical music; musical theater and pop; and much more. And don’t miss the opening day with Regina Spektor, Mandy Patinkin and Israeli band Mashina—in the FREE Israel@60: A Capital Celebration on the National Mall. Visit www.wjmf.org for a full line up including FREE events throughout the festival.

Washington Festival Line up:

Saturday, May 31 | 10:00 PM | Venue: Station 9 | $10
Kick-Off Party | From Tel Aviv to DC with DJ Crew Soulico

Here to take DC by storm, DJ Crew Soulico is kicking-off the Washington Jewish Music Festival with a bang. Party to a unique mix of funk-accented power pop, Middle Eastern melodies and techno-rave.

When: May 31, 10:00 pm
Where: Station 9, | Ages 21 and over | 1438 U street NW (BTW 14th & 15th), station9dc.com
Ticket: $10; wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
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Sunday, June 1 | Opening day | Venue: The National Mall | FREE
Regina Spektor, Mandy Patinkin and Mashina

Celebrate Israel’s 60th birthday with the opening of the Washington Jewish Music Festival on the National Mall. Regina Spektor, internationally-acclaimed singer, songwriter and pianist, will headline the celebration, along with Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor Mandy Patinkin, who will emcee the program as well as perform, Israeli rock band, Mashina, and Sesame Street Muppets Oscar the Grouch and his Israeli cousin Moishe Oofnik. The FREE event is part of the community-wide festival, Israel @ 60: A Capital Celebration, hosted by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington in partnership with the Embassy of Israel and other community organizations.

When: June 1, 12:00 pm
Where: National Mall
Ticket: FREE
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
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Sunday, June 1 | 7:00 pm | Venue: Bohemian Caverns Ma Yafit (How Beautiful You Are): Love Poetry Set to Jazz $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $10

Ayelet Rose Gottlieb (vocals and compositions), Anat Fort (piano) and Rafi Malkiel (trombone), three talented Israeli jazz musicians based in New York City, perform selections from Ayelet Rose Gottlieb’s acclaimed song cycle Mayim Rabim, based on the Song of Songs (Tzadik label, 2006), and from her music to contemporary Hebrew poetry. A wonderful mixture of jazz, Sephardic, klezmer, and Middle Eastern rhythms, these songs combine the beauty and richness of Hebrew poetry with modern melodies and improvisation.

When: June 1, 7:00 pm
Where: Bohemian Caverns | Ages 21 and over | 2001 11th Street NW (11th & U) bohemiancaverns.com
Ticket: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $10
; Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
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Monday, June 2 | 7:30 pm | Washington DCJCC
Beyond the Pale
In advance: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $10
At the door: $20; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $15

Eric Stein, mandolin; Bret Higgins, bass; Milos Popovic, accordion; Martin van de Ven, clarinet; Bogdan Djukic, violin and percussion; Aleksandar Gajic, violin and viola

Award-winning and critically-acclaimed, Toronto’s Beyond the Pale is one of the most exciting ensembles in the Canadian folk, roots, and world music scenes. Their explosive acoustic sound is inspired by a wide range of cross-cultural influences, from European folk styles (Klezmer, Balkan, Gypsy, Romanian) to contemporary and North American styles (bluegrass, jazz, reggae, funk, and more). They are known for their instrumental virtuosity, infectious energy, and unique repertoire featuring both original compositions and inventive arrangements of traditional material.

When: June 2, 7:30 pm
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket: In advance: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $10; At the door: $20; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $15
; Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
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Tuesday, June 3 | 6:15 pm
Like a Scarlet Thread: Jewish Motifs in Classical Music
In advance: $12; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $9
At the door: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $12

Benjamin Hochman, piano

Acclaimed pianist Benjamin Hochman explores Jewish motifs in classical music and performs works by prominent Jewish composers from Europe, Israel and the USA. Though only in his mid-twenties, he is an imaginatively mature artist with an innate ability to combine beauty of line within the overall shape of a piece. Mr. Hochman has appeared with the world’s great orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago, Cincinnati, and Seattle Symphonies, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Hochman will shed light on music by Mendelssohn, Ben-Haim and others and will look at the ways in which these composers relate to Jewish traditions and symbolism in music.

When: June 3, 6:15 pm
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket: In advance: $12; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $9
At the door: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $12
; Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
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Tuesday, June 3 | 8:00 pm | Washington DCJCC
Screening of Silent Film The Golem with live music performed by Davka
In advance: $12; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $9
At the door: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $12

Germany, 1920; 85 minutes | Director: Carl Boese; Paul Wegener | 16mm
Davka: Daniel Hoffman,violin; Moses Sedler, cello; Kevin Mummey, Middle-Eastern percussion; Paul Hanson, bassoon

A story for the ages set to an entirely new tune, this 1920s cinematic masterpiece is based on the Jewish myth of a soulless clay giant created to serve and protect the Jews of 16th century Prague. The film will be accompanied by Daniel Hoffman’s award-winning score performed live by the band Davka.

When: June 3, 8:00 pm
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket: In advance: $12; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $9
At the door: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $12
; Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
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Wednesday, June 4 | 7:30 pm | Washington DCJCC
Theater J's New Musical David in Shadow and Light
$40; Discounted Member/Senior/Group $35/ Student $20

Libretto by Yehuda Hyman; Music by Daniel Hoffman; Directed by Nick Olcott Choreography by Peter DiMuro and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange David’s Harp: A discussion with ethnomusicologist and clarinetist Joel Rubin and composer and violinist Daniel Hoffman following the program.

An epic musical retelling of King David's astonishing trajectory from boy shepherd, to superstar ruler, to aging king, this visually stunning production incorporates thrilling dance sequences and a post-modern frame through which we can identify with the triumphs and travails of one of the most complex and charismatic figures in biblical history. David’s Harp: Following the performance, ethnomusicologist and clarinetist Joel Rubin will lead a discussion with composer and violinist Daniel Hoffman.

When: June 4, 7:30 pm
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket: $40; Discounted Member/Senior/Group $35/ Student $20
; Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
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Wednesday, June 4 | 7:30 pm | Venue: DC9 Nightclub
The Voice of A Sage: Rachael Sage and the Sequins
Opening: DC’s Mara Levi
In advance: $12; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $9
At the door: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $12
Talented East Village pianist, singer, songwriter and poet, Rachael Sage has been making gutsy pop music from early on. Sage, whose music has been described by The Village Voice as “earthiness, color and emotion,” is known for her vibrant performances that blend vaudevillian kitsch with classically tinged art-pop.
When: June 4, 7:30 pm
Where: DC9 Nightclub | dcnine.com | Ages 21 and over | 1940 9th Street NW (9th & U)
Ticket: In advance: $12; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $9
At the door: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $12
; Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
* * *

Thursday, June 5 | 7:30 pm | Washington DCJCC
The Afro-Semitic Experience
In advance: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $10
At the door: $20; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $15

David Chevan, bass; Warren Byrd, piano and keyboards; Alvin Carter, Jr., drum set and percussion; Baba David Coleman, African drums and percussion; Stacy Phillips, violin and dobro; Will Bartlett, saxophone and clarinet

Imagine Charles Mingus sitting in with a Klezmer band playing Gospel music set to the polyrhythmic pace of the congas and bongos. Imagine a band that understands and can present interpretations of music from traditions as rich as gospel, klezmer, nigunim, spirituals, and swing. Imagine the Afro-Semitic Experience.

The Afro-Semitic Experience is an ensemble dedicated to preserving, promoting and expanding the rich cultural and musical heritage of the Jewish and African Diasporas.
When: June 5, 7:30 pm
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket:; In advance: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $10; At the door: $20; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $15
Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
* * *

Friday, June 6 | 10:00 am | Washington DCJCC
Rhythm & Roots: The Afro-Semitic Experience for Kids | FREE; registration is required on wjmf.org

Afro-Semitic Experience will lead in a morning of fun for kids and grown-ups with an interactive performance filled with energy, music and rhythm, exploring the music of Jewish and African Diasporas. Pre-K and kindergarteners with their parents, caregivers or teachers are invited to join this delightful morning of rhythm and roots.

When: June 6, 10:00 am
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket:; FREE, Registration required at wjmf.org
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
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Friday, June 6 | 8:30 pm | Washington DCJCC
Musical Erev Shabbat with Linda Hirschhorn
FREE
Cantor, composer, arranger, choral conductor, and director of Vocolot ensemble, Linda Hirschhorn will co-lead a musical Erev Shabbat service with Rabbi Robert Saks of Congregation Bet Mishpachah, the event's co-sponsor.

When: June 6, 8:30 pm
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket: FREE
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
* * *

Saturday, June 7 | 8:00 pm | Washington DCJCC
Closing Night | David Buchbinder's Odessa/Havana
In advance: $20; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $15
At the door: $25; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $20


Luis Guerra, piano; Roberto Occhipinti, bass; Quinsin Nachoff, reeds; Mark Kelso, drums; Aleksandar Gajic, violin; Rick Shadrach Lazar, percussion

An exciting Jewish-Cuban musical fusion, Odessa/Havana is led by award-winning trumpeter and composer David Buchbinder and includes some of today’s most accomplished jazz musicians. While Odessa and Havana may seem many miles apart, their musical associations are multi-layered and rooted in their common ancestry on the Iberian Peninsula—sharing Sephardic, Arabic, Roma (Gypsy) and North African forbearers.

When: June 7, 8:00 pm
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket: In advance: $20; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $15; At the door: $25; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $20
Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250
* * *

Sunday, June 8 | 11:30 am | Washington DCJCC
The Sheynville Express with the Sisters of Sheynville
In advance: $12; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $9
At the door: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $12

Lenka Lichtenberg and Isabel Fryszberg, vocals; Fern Lindzon, piano and vocals; Lorie Wolf, drums; Kinneret Sagee, clarinet; Rachel Melas, bass

Sisters of Sheynville is a high-energy, all-female sextet which brings to life Yiddish swing, klezmer and roots music, inspired by the Barry Sisters of the ’30s and ’40s old time radio era. The band’s original music and arrangements of both traditional and jazz material combine serious musicianship, complexity and intricate musical thought with a fun approach to performance. Since their debut in 2005, the “wildly successful” (Wholenote Magazine) Sisters of Sheynville have amassed an impressive festival and club performance resume.

When: June 8, 11:30 am
Where: Washington DCJCC, 1529 16TH Street NW (16th & Q)
Ticket: In advance: $12; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $9
At the door: $15; Discounted Member/Student/Senior/Limited Income $12
Go to wjmf.org; (800) 494-TIXS
Info: info@wjmf.org; (202) 777-3250

Jewish Community Radio

Jewish Community Radio
Jewish music, news, interviews, contests and more. Hosted by columnist Fred Taub and musician Tzvi Turner. Listen live Sundays, 7-8AM and Fridays, 12:30-1PM on 88.7 FM in Cleveland, Ohio or streaming live at wjcu.org. Visit the Jewish Community Radio website, www.JewishCommunityRadio.org

Nashir Celebrates Israel at 60

On Sunday, June 15, at 8:00 pm, Nashir! The Rottenberg Chorale will present its annual concert at Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street, New York. The eclectic program features a major work by Israel Prize-winning composer Yehezkel Braun as well as works of other composers from around the world.

Tickets are $24 (preferred seating), $21 (general admission) and $17 (seniors/students). For further information, contact Merkin Concert Hall (212-501-3330).

Beyle Schaechter Gottesman: Song of Autumn

Yiddish Film Project
Worlds within a World: Conversations with Yiddish Writers
Beyle Schaechter Gottesman: Song of Autumn
A VELT MIT VELTELEKH: SHMUESN MIT YIDISHE SHRAYBERS
BEYLE SHEKHTER-GOTESMAN: HARBSTLID

The League for Yiddish, publishers of the magazine Afn Shvel is pleased to announce that the film Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman: Song of Autumn (BEYLE SHEKHTER-GOTESMAN: Harbstlid), the second film in our series Worlds within a World: Conversations with Yiddish Writers (A velt mit veltelekh: shmuesn mit yidishe shraybers) is ready and available for viewing and purchase.

The film is available in VHS or DVD format.
TO ORDER, send $30 plus $5 postage (in the US) or your credit card information to:
LEAGUE FOR YIDDISH
64 FULTON ST.
SUITE 1101
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10038.
Postage for Canada : $6.00 for either VHS or DVD.
International postage other than Canada : $5 for the DVD and $12 for the VHS. You may also order at the League for Yiddish website : www.leagueforyiddish.org with a credit card or paypal. For inquires, please contact the League for Yiddish at info@leagueforyiddish.org or call 212 889-0380.

THE FILM
Beyle Schaechter Gottesman: Song of Autumn is an edited interview conducted with this remarkable Yiddish poet, songwriter, and singer by her son folklorist/journalist Itsik Gottesman and enhanced by photo stills and Schaechter-Gottesman's music. The film is 72 minutes long. The interview is entirely in Yiddish with very accurate and complete English subtitles. In it, BEYLE, whose name has become synonymous with modern Yiddish song and who has played a central role in revivng and inspiring interest in Yiddish song and poetry among a whole new generation of artists, discusses her life and creative path: her upbringing in the Yiddish cultural milieu of Tshernevits (then Rumania) as the daughter of a remarkable traditional folk singer and a passionate Yiddishist, the war years in Rumania, her development as a modern Yiddish poet and songwriter in New York, and her views on Yiddish literature and creativity. What emerges is a rich picture of the world of a woman who recited poetry to the great Yiddish fabulist Eliezer Shteynbarg as a child, was part of a vibrant Yiddish enclave in the Bronx, and is the only Yiddish poet ever to be awarded a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation's top honor for folk arts.

HIGHLIGHTS include Beyle's reciting several of her poems as well as singing several of her own songs, among them the favorites, "Mayn khaverte Mintsye" (My Friend Mintsye) and "Borekh-habo dir, khaver" (Welcome, My Friend).

DIRECTOR
The film is directed and edited by Josh Waletzky, director and editor of Image before My Eyes and Partisans of Vilna, and editor of Emmy Award-winning "Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House." Among other awards, Josh is the recipient of the Silver Ducat at the Mannheim International Film Festival for Image and First Prize at the Anthropos International Film Festival for Partisans.

THE PROJECT
Worlds within a World: Conversations with Yiddish Writers aims to provide a visual and oral document of prominent contemporary Yiddish writers so that present and future generations can "spend time" with these fascinating figures and gain some insight into their work and milieu. Thus far, in addition to Schaechter-Gottesman, we have filmed Itche Goldbergand painter/writer Yonia Fain.
Our first film Itche Goldberg: A Century of Yiddish Letters (ITSHE GOLDBERG: OYB NIT NOKH HEKHER) on Yiddish educator, essayist, literary critic, poet and editor Itche Goldberg is also available.

PURCHASE
Both films make the perfect program for a Yiddish circle, class, or even your local Jewish or documentary film festival. The film is available in VHS or DVD format.
TO ORDER, send $30 plus $5 postage (in the US) or your credit card information to:
LEAGUE FOR YIDDISH
64 FULTON ST.
SUITE 1101
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10038.
Postage for Canada : $6.00 for either VHS or DVD.
International postage other than Canada : $5 for the DVD and $12 for the VHS. You may also order at the League for Yiddish website : www.leagueforyiddish.org with a credit card or paypal. For inquires, please contact the League for Yiddish at info@leagueforyiddish.org or call 212 889-0380.

Wild Peace: A Gala Concert for Israel's 60th

Wild Peace: A Gala Concert for Israel's 60th
Honoring Joyce Bohnen, Zamir alumna and former board chair
Sunday, June 1, 2008
8:00 pm
Sanders Theatre, Cambridge
Join Maestro Joshua Jacobson and the Zamir Chorale of Boston for a celebration of well-known works and hidden gems by Israel's greatest composers, including Yehezkel Braun's dramatic "Magash Ha-kesef," Naomi Shemer's mystical "Shirat Ha-asavim," Gil Aldema's joyous "Ashira Liydiyday," Moshe Wilensky's exuberant "Uri Tsiyon," and a rollicking arrangement of Marc Lavry's "Shir Ha-Emek." The evening culminates with the world premiere of Cantor Charles D. Osborne's stunning oratorio for chorus and orchestra, Like Wildflowers, Suddenly, based on the poem "Wild Peace," by Israeli poet Yehudah Amichai.
Tickets from $18; students, $10
Visit www.zamir.org
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001akelOBI-lzxlFM96wF4rRTlRdfDZu_54wnTFMxfzOMgF57OwGRGBelHxWL7dDzWflwypC9sWi8PSN-WKiLOkQug0Os27yaH-5xBGnqgizRk=] or call 617-244-6333.

Studying Jewish music at SOAS

The Music Department runs BA, MMus and PhD degree programmes; all focus on world music, with the opportunity to specialize in regional traditions including Jewish musics, and to receive high-level training in performance. In the BA, Music can be combined with language studies, Development Studies, Anthropology and many other academic disciplines, while PhD projects can be practice-led, fieldwork-based, or theoretical.

Scholarship support is available for Jewish Music studies at SOAS via the recently inaugurated JMI Mildred Loss Studentships. Please contact Abigail Wood for application details. Specialist research resources include the JMI library, housed at SOAS.

BA Music Studies

Jewish music course options currently include:
· Aspects of Jewish Music (2nd/3rd year)
· Popular Music and Politics in Israel (2nd/3rd year)
· Klezmer music: roots and revival (2nd/3rd year)
· Performance options: klezmer (1st year); free choice of performance study (2nd and 3rd yars).
· Independent study projects on topics in Jewish music

Jewish music is also covered within survey courses including
· Sounds and cultures (1st year)
· Gender and music (2nd/3rd year)

Single-subject BA Music students have the option of taking courses from other departments, which include Hebrew language, and courses on Judaism and Jewish texts and courses on Israeli culture and history.

MMus Ethnomusicology/Music Performance

MMus students specialise either in ethnomusicology or performance. Taught course options include many of the above. In addition, the student will prepare a dissertation and/or performance(s) in an area of their choice.

PhD studies

PhD studies in Jewish Music are available at SOAS; contact Abigail Wood in the first instance to discuss options.
Informal studies

The JMI klezmer classes, held at SOAS on Tuesday evenings, are open to all – students and non-students. For further details, contact Laoise Davidson: laoise@jmi.org.uk

Abigail Wood, Joe Loss Lecturer in Jewish Music

Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom Classical Jazz Concert

“Theme, Moods and Angles” for flute, cello and Jazz Trio”
Friday, May 30, at 8PM

Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom reprises their classical/Jazz crossover ensemble in a new program which premiere’s pianist/composer Ted Rosenthal’s recent chamber jazz composition, Theme, Moods and Angles for flute, cello and Jazz Trio, on Friday evening, May 30th, at 8pm in Schnurmacher Chapel. The guest ensemble, Ted Rosenthal, piano, Cantor Rebecca Garfein, vocals, Susan Rotholz, flute, Eliot Bailen, cello and Artistic Director, Thomson Kneeland, bass, and Chris Parker, drums, will play works by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1922) and Pablo Ziegler (1944-), Hector Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), Benny Carter (1907-2003) and Ted Rosenthal (1959-). Mezzo-soprano Cantor Rebecca Garfein will perform a selection of songs by Charles Dumont, Marvin Hamlisch, and Richard Rodgers. Rosenthal, the recipient of three grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and 1st-prize winner of the 2nd Thelonius Monk Piano Competition, regularly performs and records new treatments and “derangements” of great American standards, jazz tunes and classical themes, as well as his own original compositions. He is the pianist of choice for such top jazz vocalists as Anne Hampton Callaway, Helen Merrill, and Mark Murphey.The free concert is open to the public and rsvp is requested. For more information and to reply, call the Cantor’s Study 646.454.3039, or email chambermusic@crsnyc.org. Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 7 West 83rd Street, NYC can be reached by bus or subway. Take the B or C train, or the M86 bus to 86th Street and Central Park West and walk three blocks south.