Klezmer Ensemble

Recent News:

The UVA Klezmer Ensemble under the direction of Director of Music Performance Joel Rubin took part in the University of Richmond's Global Sounds Festival on Sunday, April 10, 2011.

Why Do Germans Love Jewish Music? Wednesday, April 13, 2011. Roundtable discussion featuring: Steven Greenman, noted klezmer violinist (Cleveland) Joel Rubin (Music) James Loeffler (History) Jeffrey Grossman (German) Sponsored by Jewish Studies Program and McIntire Department of Music as part of Greenman’s residency and performance with UVA Klezmer Ensemble on Thursday, April 14, 2011, 8:00 pm in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium.

Under the direction of Director of Music Performance and acclaimed clarinetist Joel Rubin, the Klezmer Ensemble focuses on the music of the klezmorim, the Jewish professional instrumentalists of Eastern Europe. The ensemble is made up of both undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and other members of the greater Central Virginia community, and is dedicated to exploring klezmer and other, related Jewish musical traditions from the 18th century to the present, such as hasidic nigunim (melodies of spiritual elevation), Yiddish folk and popular song, and contemporary Euro-American Jewish popular music. Now in its sixth year, the UVA Klezmer Ensemble has rapidly become a vital part of the musical community of Central and Northern Virginia. Besides performing in Old Cabell Hall, appearances have included the University of Richmond's Global Sounds Festival, the College of William and Mary (Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology annual meeting), the Charlottesville Festival of Cultures, Gravity Lounge, the 214 Community Arts Center (former Prism Coffeehouse), the Discovery Museum, the WeArts Festival (McGuffey Arts Center), New Bridges (Harrisonburg), Congregation Beth Israel, Chabad of UVA, and the Jewish Community Council (Lynchburg).

Klezmer was brought to North America by immigrants around the turn of the last century. Since the 1970s, a dynamic revival of this tradition has been taking place in America and beyond. Klezmer’s recent popularity has brought it far from its roots in medieval minstrelsy and Jewish ritual and into the sphere of mainstream culture. The Klezmer Ensemble at UVA performs at the end of each semester. Each semester the ensemble is coached by and plays together with a cutting edge guest artist. Recent guests have included Socalled, Alicia Svigals (co-founder of the Grammy-winning Klezmatics), Michael Winograd, Steve Greenman, Susan Hoffman Watts, Dan Blacksberg, and the Kálmán Balogh/Ferenc Kovács Duo. This semester's guest will be Frank London of the Klezmatics, who will be in residency at UVA with the co-sponsorship of the McIntire Department of Music, the UVA Jewish Studies Program, and the Virginia Film Festival.

FOR AUDITIONS

In this ensemble, we will begin by focusing on the klezmer traditions of New York and Philadelphia from ca. 1910-1950 as well as the klezmer and hasidic traditions of 18th-19th century Eastern Europe. Depending on the makeup of the group, we may explore various other genres of Jewish musical traditions, including Yiddish song (folk song, Yiddish theater, vaudeville) and various forms of contemporary Euro-American Jewish popular music.

This music was passed on orally from generation to generation, and many of the ornaments which are so integral to the klezmer sound can only be approximated by Western staff notation – not to mention the patterns of improvised variation which are the cornerstone of the style. There will therefore be an emphasis on learning by ear as much as possible. Sheet music with basic melodies and harmonies for each piece will be provided.

The following instruments are sought: violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba (and other low brass), percussion (drum set, xylophone), piano, and accordion, although others will also be considered. Restricted to instructor permission by audition. Please contact Dr. Rubin with any questions: