JEWISH MUSIC INSTITUTE




Latest News and Updates See below for the latest announcements on the website: Added 05 June 2008: Everyone at the JMI has been deeply shocked to hear thetragic news that Michael Kahan, one of our brightest Klezmer violinists, was murdered last weekend. Our thoughts go out to his family and to his music partner Ros. Well wishes have been pouring in from all over the globe, from all the Klezmorim that knew and played with Michael. Everyone is in deep shock. Geraldine Auerbach, JMI Director wrote to all KlezFesters and Klezmer musicians to let them know about the tragic story. "It is with great sadness that we relate the news of the tragic and untimely death of one of our klezmer family in the North, Michael Kahan. KlezFesters will remember the charming Manchester violinist and his performance partnership with Ros Hawley in the esteemed duo, ‘Klezmer Gourmets’." Michael was inexplicably stabbed to death near his home on Sunday. He had popped out in the morning for some breakfast bagels for his wife and son, and some guy got out of a car and stabbed him to death. Friend and colleague, Adrian Dobson says: 'It just doesn’t seem real. Such a waste! His life together with Eva (whom he married only last summer) was just beginning to take off. They gave each other so much and had so many plans together. The wonderful thing was that he had just begun seeing his teenage son again after so much time apart, and there was definitely a dream of being part of a family again'. Adrian adds: We are all in a state of shock here at Michael’s tragic death. Nothing can prepare us to cope with such random and extreme violence, and absolutely nothing can explain or excuse it. I fear that we are only beginning to appreciate the extent of our loss as the tragedy continues to unfold. Many of us musicians were inspired by Michael who was so generous with his talents, and we all valued his warmth, enthusiasm and creativity. I will miss him as a very kind and good friend, and I will remember him in my playing of klezmer for as long as I live. There will be a Klezmer Jam session in Michael's honour this Sunday (8th June) from 1 - 4pm at the Cross Kings, near King's Cross Station. Contact i.cravitz@hotmail.com for details. Another Klezmer Jam in Michael's honour will take place at SOAS on Tuesday 10th June from 7 - 9pm. Contact Laoise for details. There will be a recognition of Michael and his music at KlezFest 2008 and during the Klezmer Klimax concert on 13th August at West London Synagogue. Michael was not just a great Klezmer player, but a lovely, genuine, sweet man, and we have all lost a friend. Ilana Cravitz, the London-based klezmer violinist and workshop and jam organiser says' He was a very gifted fiddler and a stalwart of the Manchester klezmer community, running regular workshops and other sessions. He had also been an enthusiastic participant at our JMI London KlezFest, and this year also taught some Tuesday classes at SOAS, University of London for JMI. His death is a really tragic loss'. Musicians in London who would like to join Ilana and Friends in paying tribute to Mike, would be very welcome to attend Ilana's session at the Cross Kings, 162 York Way, London N1 between 1pm and 4pm on Sunday 8 June. You can call Ilana on 0782 551 0881 or email her on icravitz@tiscali.co.uk. - or probably just turn up. Ros Hawley was due to play with Michael at an outdoor event in a Manchester park this coming weekend. She says, 'Sadly and tragically, violinist Michael Kahan died at the weekend. He was my friend and duo partner, and we were due to be performing in our duo, Klezmer Gourmets, at FEAST! a community picnic festival at Platt Fields. We were intending to be strolling musicians entertaining the 'picnic-ers' with our Klezmer tunes.' As a tribute to Michael, Ros and her husband Fish have invited his musician friends to play with them in the park. She envisages 'The slots will be like a jam session for Mike, where we play together tunes he enjoyed. He loved dancing too and was recently taking on leading dancing at events’. Ros and friends have set up an email address for anyone wishing to leave any messages and thoughts - Steve Landin has put this on the Klezmer Gourmets website too. The address is klezmergourmets@o2.co.uk' Ros says: The Klezmer Gourmets website is going to become a place where musicians can leave their thoughts so that there is a collective focused space for people to remember together, Eva wants this too, so please keep an eye on this and leave something there, and let your Klezmer networks know the same. "Life up here is so strange- we were meant to be rehearsing today for a number gigs we had coming up- it was meant to be a time of looking forward to the summer and the gigs this brings and enjoying playing. "Hopefully we are helping Eva and the family by giving people a focus to help them come to terms with the shock of what's happened and her some kind of space to be with her family". Adrian Dobson says: I am so glad that Ros has given us the chance to meet this weekend to play klezmer together and dance in Platt Fields Park. It feels absolutely right that we remember Michael with the music and dance that he loved. We won’t ever be able to fill the space that he has left, but we will be able form a circle of hugs with all our memories of Michael in the centre. Ruth Steinberg from Leeds writes: Michael was at the last Klezfest and I remember sitting in a restaurant round the corner from the Shul talking with Geraldine and her team with a few of us about 'Klezmer up North' and exploring how we could build. It was at the JMI Liverpool event that I last saw him and can only think of him as a lifeful and life affirming musician and a kind and gentle Jewish man'. Laoise Davidson, who with Yvonne Glass, and Barbara Rosenberg is running KlezFest this year says: “Not only was Michael a gifted violinist and teacher who was passionate about Klezmer music and Jewish culture, but he was also a very happy guy who always had a smile on his face. He will be terribly missed.” The klezmer London team, as well as the entire faculty of KlezFest – who will all pay tribute to Mike at this year's week-long course (10 – 15 August) – join me in sending the traditional Jewish greeting of wishing you all a long life. Some of the faculty who have heard the awful news have said: He was a dear soul and friend. - Jeff Warschauer He'll be missed, a lovely man.... let's put our thoughts out to his family.....and of course honour and remember his at Klezfest! - Merlin Shepherd This is so tragic - Frank London I am so incredibly sorry to hear this terribly sad news. I was really looking forward to seeing him again at Klezfest. I always enjoyed chatting about music with him and comparing klezmer notes. I know that the SOAS klezmer class this year respected him a lot. - Meg Hamilton We just got the news and are in shock. Michael was an incredibly sweet person and wonderful musician. - Josh Horowitz Debra and I spent some lovely one on one time with Michael. I found him to be a passionate and incredibly intelligent musician. As Josh said, we are deeply saddened by this horrible news. - Cookie Segelstein Michael had such a beautiful enthusiasm and passion for music and life, and was such a positive, energetic force. It was always a pleasure to hear him play. - Sophie Solomon Added 31st October 2007: JMI run daily radio show on new Jewish radio station - JCOM Radio - The Sound of Jewish Music Added 2 August 2007: Jewish Song School at EDRS, starting 9th October 2007 The Pavarotti of the Bimah!!! - Special JMI Friends Outing Added 1 August 2007: ICSM Online Journal: New Reviews Added 26 July 2007: Oy Vey! JMI @ Edinburgh, August 2007. Timetable available Added 23 July 2007: Oy Vey! JMI @ Edinburgh, August 2007. New and updated information Added 18 July 2007: Ernest Bloch Jubilee Conference: Timetable available 'Exile Music' Conference and Concerts. Announcement and Call for Papers Added 14 July 2007: Jewish Song School 2007/2008 Added 18 June 2007: New events and performances announced Added 14 June 2007: Newsletter No. 15 - International Summer School Edition (pdf) Added 9 May 2007: What's so special about KlezFest? Read what Laoise Davidson has to say to give you the needed little push to register Added 22 April 2007: Announcing The 2nd JMI European Cantors Convention, 19 - 21 June 2007 Added 13 March 2007: New performances, concerts and events listed Added 14 February 2007: New opera reviews in the ICSM online journal Added 11 February 2007: KlezFest, OtAzoy and Jewish Song School 2007 Faculty Added 29 January 2007: Uncharted Waters. 22 February 2007. A recital by Eliot Alderman and Malcolm Miller. Added 4 January 2007: JMI@Edinburgh. We’re going to Edinburgh next August and you can come too! Added 19 December 2006: KlezFest Ad 2007 now online! (pdf) Added 18 December 2006: New information on KlezFest, Ot Azoy, and Jewish Song School 2007! Added 14 December 2006: The Violin in Jewish Tradition 'Classical and Klezmer', 11 March 2007 at the Artsdepot Added 13 December 2006: Ernest Bloch (1880–1959): Jubilee International Conference and Festival Progressive Summer Programme Added 6 November 2006: 14th Newletter. 350th Anniversary edition (pdf) Added 1 November 2006: New and updated performances and events Added 30 October 2006: Sponsor an Artist: Borsht to Blighty. Jewish Culture Day on the South Bank. 26 November 2006 Added 11 October 2006: Dates announced for KlezFest, Ot Azoy!, and Jewish Song School 2007 Added 8 September 2006: Aspects of the Cantor's Art. Wednesdays in November 2006 Added 23 August 2006: Sing a Song. Jewish Culture Day at the South Bank Centre Simcha on the Square. 17 September 2006. Download the poster Added 29 July 2006: Numerous new Jewish music concerts, performances and life events added Added 20 June 2006: Sephardi Song Workshop with Judith Cohen Added 30 May 2006: Jewish Song School 2006/2007 Added 21 May 2006: Tell us about you and Jewish Music: Take part in our survey Added 19 May 2006: Newsletter No. 13. JMI Summer Programme (pdf - requires Acrobat Reader) Added 11 April 2006: JMI Cantorial Summer Programmes 2006: updated information and new registration forms available New Events for June 2006 Added 31 March 2006: JMI Cantorial Summer Programmes 2006: New Information Synagogue Music: new events added Added 19 March 2006: New ICSM Reviews: Opera, Concerts, CDs Added 12 March 2006: Download the KlezFest 2006 Flyer (pdf) Added 19 February 2006: JMI Fridays. A series of illustrated lunchtime lectures at SOAS 10 February — 17 March 2006 Added 16 February 2006: New Information about Klezmertise, She'koyokh performance on 26 February 2006 Added 12 February 2006: New Information in the Israeli Music Section / JMI Forum for Israeli Music Added 5 February 2006: New Live Events in February and March Added 14 January 2006: KlezFest, OtAzoy and Jewish Song School 2006 Faculty Added 18 December 2005: KlezFest, OtAzoy and Jewish Song School 2006. New and updated Information JMI Cantoral Summer Schools 2006 Added 13 November 2005: Suppressed Music: Auction of Zemlinsky Manuscripts. 1 Dec 2005. Sotheby's of London Suppressed Music: New Obituaries Suppressed Music: New Reviews, CDs, Books, Films Added 11 November 2005: Suppressed Music: New Conferences Added 28 October 2005: Newsletter No. 12. JMI is 21! Happy Birthday JMI! (pdf - requires Acrobat Reader) Upcoming Performances, Concerts and Live Events Updated Information on the Jewish Culture Day. 27 November 2005 at the Southbank. Added 14 October 2005: Synagogue Music. New articles and reviews Added 31 August 2005: New Jewish Music Performances. Autumn 2005 JMI Jewish Culture Day 2005 at the South Bank Centre Added 24 August 2005: Klezmer Classes 2005/06. Starting 5 October Added 23 August 2005: Jewish Song School 2005/06 Starting 15 September Yiddish Classes and Events. New Dates for 2005/2006 Added 22 August 2005: 2006 KlezFest, Ot Azoy!, Jewish Song Summer School KlezFest 2005 Photo Gallery Comments from KlezFesters on the 2005 Programme Added 9 August 2005: New articles, reviews and listings in the ICSM Online Journal Added 29 July 2005: New articles in the ICSM Online Journal Added 3 July 2005: KlezFest in the Park 2005, Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July Added 21 May 2005: Thinking of coming to JMI Summer Schools this year? Laoise Davidson tells you why you should come The Large Shared Repertory of Greek and Klezmer/Yiddish Vernacular Musics. A Talk. Wednesday 22 June 2005, 6.00pm The Chen Zimbalista Trio, Sunday 17 July, 7.45pm Added 26 March 2005: JMI Summer Schools: read more about the instructors Added 10 March 2005: Cantorial Summer Schools 2005 NEW DATES! Choral Festival 2005 FREE TO TAKE PART! Added 9 March 2005: Klezmer Klimax NEW DATE! 13 July 2005 KlezFest and Ot Azoy! more details IFYC Yiddish in London listings Added 11 January 2005: Klezmer evening and Sunday classes Added 4 January 2005: performance programme January-July 2005 JMI Summer Schools: Cantorial art and Jewish choral music Jewish Choral Gems 3 July 2005 JMI Summer Schools: KlezFest London with the Klezmatics, Jewish Song School, Ot Azoy! Klezmer Klimax 14 July 2005 Added 12 October 2004: 2005 and 2006 Dates for KlezFest and Ot Azoy! announced Added 09 October 2004: JMI Newsletter No 10. Libeskind, East West Dialogue and the Art of Cantor Added 26 Septmber 2004: Cantorial Classes 2004/2005 Cantor Charles Lowy: New CD and Book released Added 14 September 2004: Cantors in Concert 20 December 2004, Queen Elizabeth Hall Read an appreciation of Ot Azoy! 2004 Added 13 September 2004: Mátyás Seiber Centenary 2005. From Spring 2005 Read a review of the KlezFest 2004 Added 10 September 2004: Jewish Song School 2004/2005. Starts 14 October 2004 Klezmer Classes 2004/2005 Starts 5 October 2004 Added 22 August 2004: JMI Cantorial Winter School 19—23 December 2004 Added 21 August 2004: A series of concerts to accompany the Daniel Libeskind exhibition 'Space of Encounter' at the Barbican Art Gallery. Wednesdays: 13 October, 17 November, 15 December and 12 January Added 20 August 2004: Muwashshhaat: International Conference and Concert, 8—10 October 2004 Musical Dialogues of East and West, JMI Jewish Culture Day. Workshop, Discussion, Concerts. 28 November 2004 Added 05 August 2004: New information about the KlezFest in Regents Park, 7 and 8 August 2004 Added 24 July 2004: Jewish Music Evening Classes at SOAS 2004/2005, from October 2004 Added 21 July 2004: Hot Beats on Rye 2004 @ Spitz. 4, 5, and 30 August 2004 New information about the KlezFest in Regents Park, 7 and 8 August 2004 Added 20 June 2004: Jewish Music in Regents Park, 7 and 8 August 2004 Added 18 June 2004: KlezFest - What is it? Find out more about the KlezFest KlezFest London Timetable, 8—12 August 2004 Review and Images of 'The King of Lampedusa' 60th Anniversary Celebration in December 2003 Review and Images of 'A Weekend with the Klezmatics' Concert, Workshop and Jam in May 2004 Added 17 May 2004: JMI Newsletter No. 9. The Soul of the Fiddle Edition Added 14 May 2004: Yiddish Cabaret 13 June 2004: Call for Auditions. 27 May 2004 Celebrating Yiddish Literature: A one day festival. Detailed programme available. 23 May 2004 In my Garden: Yiddish Songs and Music of Love and Rejoicing. The Strauss Warschauer Duo with guest singer Shura Lipovsky. 5 August 2004 Added 29 April 2004: JMI Cantorial Summer School. 20—24 June 2004. New information and registration form Added 22 April 2004: Klezmatics Party, Jam, Workshop and Concert, 2—3 May 2004 Added 17 April 2004: International Forum for Suppressed Music, Newsletter No.7 Added 9 April 2004: JMI Cantorial Summer School. 20—24 June 2004 JEECS Guided Walks. 29 and 30 August 2004 JEECS Three-day Residential Jewish East End Weekend, 3—5 September 2004 JEECS East End Celebration 5 September 2004 Added 7 April 2004: JEECS Guided Walk: Pickles Pimps and the Palais. 2 May 2004 Added 31 March 2004: Jewish Music Day at Regents Park. 8 August 2004 The Art of Cantor. Masterclasses and Workshops. June 2004 Shostakovich and Jewish Music. A Talk followed by a Concert. 25 April 2004


The Jewish Music Institute is an independent Arts organisation based at SOAS, University of London. It is an international focus bringing the ancient yet contemporary musical culture of the Jews to the mainstream British cultural, academic and social life. Its programmes of education, performance and information highlight many aspects of Jewish music throughout the ages and across the globe for people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures.