KlezCalYidFest
KlezCalifornia is rebooting our klezmer and Yiddish culture festival—and we’re excited for you to join us! KlezCalYidFest kicks off Friday Sept 12 with a weekend of concerts, workshops and dancing with local and international artists from the klezmer and contemporary Yiddish culture scene.
Friday Evening, Sept 12th: Russell/Aqua/Gaskin trio + Krekhts and Saul Goodman's Klezmer Band
Join us for new arrangements of songs from the Sidor Belarsky Songbook, featuring internationally-acclaimed Yiddish singer Anthony Russell and klezmer musicians Zoë Aqua and Dmitri Gaskin. Following this will be local bands Krekhts and Saul Goodman’s Klezmer Band, putting us in an atmosphere to party.
7 pm at the Finnish Hall in Berkeley, 1970 Chestnut St.
Saturday Afternoon, September 13th: Workshops
Learn from some of the top artists on the Yiddish culture scene today!
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Choose from:
– Instrumental klezmer, all levels, with Zoë Aqua
– Yiddish song, all levels, with Chaia
3:00 – 4:30 pm
Choose from:
– Yiddish dance, all levels, with Avia Moore
– The Tales of Nachman of Breslov, a lecture with Robert Adler Peckerar (presented by New Lehrhaus)
At the Finnish Hall in Berkeley, 1970 Chestnut St.
Saturday Evening, Sept 13th: Baymele + Chaia
San Francisco Bay Area-rooted klezmer band Baymele will open the evening with selections from their recently released album of instrumental klezmer music, Sapling. Following them, international star of Yiddish electronic music, Chaia, will build bridges between past and present by using her music to bring the voices and songs of our ancestors into a contemporary musical context.
7 pm at the Finnish Hall in Berkeley, 1970 Chestnut St.
Sunday Afternoon, September 14th: Workshops
Continue learning from the best!
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Choose from:
– Instrumental klezmer, all levels, with Cookie Segelstein
– Yiddish song, all levels, with Chaia
3:00 – 4:30 pm
Choose from:
– Yiddish dance, all levels, with Avia Moore
– A Heritage of Sound: A Listening Session, a lecture with Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell (presented by New Lehrhaus)
At the Finnish Hall in Berkeley, 1970 Chestnut St.
Sunday Evening, September 14th: Workshop Presentations + Tantshoyz with Avia Moore & Veretski Pass
The festival will culminate in a presentation by the instrumental klezmer workshop and the Yiddish vocal workshop participants, followed by an evening of dancing led by Montreal-based Yiddish dance expert Avia Moore. Veretski Pass will lead the dance band for the evening.
Free admission for all workshop participants.
7 pm at the Finnish Hall in Berkeley, 1970 Chestnut St.
Special thanks to Noah Youngs for his generous support of this program, and to New Lehrhaus, our lecture sponsor.