AU to bring New York Klezmer Orchestra to campus stage 3/07/08
On Friday, March 28, one of New York State's foremost performers of traditional and contemporary klezmer music, the New York Klezmer Orchestra (NYKO), will be performing at Alfred University. The NYKO includes a repertoire of Turkish, Romanian, Polish and other Eastern European influenced traditional music.The show begins at 7 p.m. on the Holmes Auditorium stage in Harder Hall. This free event is made possible by Hillel at Alfred, with additional funding from the David and Elizabeth Miller Guest Artist Fund and the National Endowment for the Humanities.The public is also invited to hear the NYKO members speak about Klezmer music to the World Music class earlier in the day at 3:30 p.m. in Holmes Auditorium.The NYKO consists of five musical artists. Maury Rosenberg plays the accordion, piano, and is the vocal lead in the orchestra. JoAnn Vaccarro plays electric guitar, Tim Hull plays the clarinet, Chris Reynolds plays the bass guitar, and Mark Phillips is the drummer playing both the drums and the hand drums.Rosenberg has performed with world-renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, and toured extensively with the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra. He has also participated in performances with The New England Klezmer Conservatory Band and has appeared in the sound track of Woody Allen's movie "Deconstructing Harry."Klezmer music originated in the villages and the ghettos of Eastern Europe, where itinerant Jewish troubadours performed at joyful events, particularly weddings. The influences of Slavonic, Greek, Ottoman (Turkish), Arabic, Gypsy, and later, American jazz musicians, led to the Klezmer style.Klezmer is a musical tradition which parallels Hasidic and Ashkenazic Judaism. The
repertoire is largely dance songs for weddings and other celebrations. Klezmer is easily identifiable by its characteristic expressive melodies, reminiscent of the human voice, complete with laughing and weeping.
