Artists Bands & Performers

Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies, Women in Jewish Music

Wolpert Schwartz, Rebecca

American. Singer songwriter, guitarist, music teacher working in the Philadelphia area. Rebecca has published a book of songs called “Rebecca Songs” and has produced three CDs “Only Time Can Tell”, The Light of Shabbat” and Ahavah Rabah”. She won an award at the 2004 Shashelet competition for her compositions “Y’did Nefesh” and “Birkat Haneirot.” She leads music in Jewish camps, performs for Jewish temples, workshops, and simchas. She also sings in local Philadelphia coffeehouses and nightclubs. Her website includes photos, a bio, a calendar, news and section with music clips where you can hear her rich and pleasant voice.
http://www.rebeccasongs.com/home.html

Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies, Women in Jewish Music

Yarkoni, Yaffa

Born in Israel in 1925, Yarkoni has had a successful singing career in the new State of Israel, starting off singing songs of the Palmach. She was a radio operator during Israel’s War of Independence. She started singing for large groups at that time, appearing in the army choral troupe and continued to bolster the nation’s morale through many of the tough wars for the next fifty years and became known as “the Singer of the Wars.” In 1967, Yarkoni was chosen to sing “Jerusalem of Gold” in front of the Western Wall after Israel recaptured the city. She traveled throughout the world singing Israel’s new Hebrew songs to sell-out audiences in world venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Paris Olympia and London’s Palladium.…
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Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies

Yedid, Yitzhak

Pianist and composer. “Yitzhak Yedid’s music reflects a multitude of ethnic and cultural aspects of modern-day Israel. The composer/pianist is working on a synthesis of traditional musical patterns from his native country and contemporary Western music. In this real ‘meeting of cultures’, Oriental melos (Arabian and Jewish scales or the micro-tonality which is so typical of the Middle East and the Mediterranean) encounters New Music and jazz improvisation.”
http://www.monica-fallon.com/artists/yitzhak_yedid.htm

Artists Bands & Performers, Blogs

Yehuda

Yehuda is a native of Cleveland. Yehuda learned his stage presence early, singing with his father’s simcha band. Both his grandfathers were singers in the Chassidic courts of pre-World War II Klausenberg and Vishnitz. (he has music yiches). His website says: “Yehuda is not just a star, but a Yeshiva-educated young man with a mission.”
http://www.yehuda.org/main.html

Artists Bands & Performers

Yiddish Blues

Yiddish Blues,  founded in January ,2000, is a Dresden, Germany-based band consisting of Mandy Muller, violin, Bernard Muller-Weber, guitar and Reinhard John, bass. They play adaptations of early twentieth-century klezmer greats from Eastern Europe and America. They will play the standards such as hora, bulgar and chusidl, but also branch into the combo elements with swing and tango and newly composed pieces such as “The Flatbush Waltz” by Andy Statman. Their website includes nice clips of several selections and includes their CD and contact information. Additionally special is a brief history of klezmer and photos of Jewish and formerly Jewish sites in the Polish part of Galitzia and environs. the site is primarily in German. A visit to the website gallery of photos is well worth it if you want to get a glimpse how some former Jewish synagogues, mikvehs and other property are being used by Europeans today.…
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Artists Bands & Performers

Yisroel Dagan

Singer for Azamra, a movement of the Breslov Chassidim. CD “ASHRENU!” Website has biographical information, photos and sound bites. “The Azamra Institute is dedicated to the dissemination of Torah spirituality, healthcare and healing through educational programs, quality publications and Internet outreach. Founded in 1986 by Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum, the Azamra Institute is an independent non-profit organization incorporated in Israel, the U.S. and Canada.”
http://www.azamra.org/HTML/song.htm

Artists Bands & Performers

Yuval Ben-Ozer

Israeli conductor. Graduated the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and the Music School of the Indiana University. Chorus master in operatic productions of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the batons of Zubin Mehta, James Levine, Daniel Barenboim and Kurt Masur. Works with professional choirs such as the Philharmonia Singers Choir and the New Vocal Ensemble. Won first prizes in international choirs’ contests – such as Malta (1998), Spain (2000) and Belgium (2001). With the Ensemble he was also invited to participate in the choir festival in Korea during the 2002 Mondial and to perform in Sardinia in 2003. Ben-Ozer is also the music director of the international choir festival “The Zimria”. Conducts the Kibbutz Artzi Choir.

Artists Bands & Performers, Choral Music Groups and Organizations

Zamir Choral Foundation (New York)

“The Zamir Choral Foundation, created by Matthew Lazar, promotes Jewish choral music as a vehicle to inspire Jewish life, culture and continuity. Building on the success of the Zamir Chorale, the first modern Hebrew-singing chorus in North America, Mr. Lazar sought an expansive vision that went beyond the activities of any single choir – one that fostered Jewish identity across generational and denominational lines. Today, through extensive programming, education, sponsorships and special events, the Zamir Choral Foundation is at the core of an ever-growing network of Jewish choirs, singers and music which has helped create the only Foundation of its kind devoted to Jewish choral music. The Zamir Choral Foundation is creating a new world of Jewish music, musicians and culture for today and the future.”
http://www.zamirfdn.org/…
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Artists Bands & Performers, Choral Music Groups and Organizations

Zamir Chorale of Boston

Founded in 1969, the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a choir of over 45 singers that has performed internationally, supports a website containing a history, concert schedule, tour information, and excerpts from recordings. This site also contains links to Jewish music resources and a newsletter. Joshua Jacobson is the founder and has served as the Director of the Boston Zamir Chorale for over 20 years. Zamir is the choir-in-residence at Hebrew College located in Newton, MA.
http://www.zamir.org

Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies

Zebelman, Ben

A new CD (released Oct., 2002) by Ben Zebelman, Song of Songs,with himself on piano and Lorenza Ponce,violin,… a recording based on the Biblical song cycle “Song of Songs”. Produced at Steve Rosenthal’s New York Magic Shop studio. Ben Zebelman is a young composer and pianist focusing on Jewish themes in “new American music”. Ben has composed several works including “Kol Nidre Variations” and “Suite Noah’s Ark”, the latter using elements of Sephardic song. For website and reviews:
http://benzebelman.com/

Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies, Women in Jewish Music

Zefira, Beracha

Israeli singer. Her groundbreaking synthesis of western and oriental elements of music came to epitomize the new Israeli, a person merged from various backgrounds of both eastern and western elements. Born into a Yemenite family, around 1911 (although the date is not sure), her mother died at child birth, her father when she around 3. She was moved around to various foster homes, all of different ethnic backgrounds. In 1924 she went to Shpheia, a school with European teachers. She was trained in western music. She won a scholarlhip to study acting in Berlin in 1929. There she met the pianist Nachum Nardi and partnered with him in an “oriental” repertoire. They toured in Europe, and then in 1930, in Palestine to critical acclaim. She had western composers make arrangements of Oriental songs, and performed them widely.…
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Artists Bands & Performers, Choral Music Groups and Organizations

Zemer Chai

Jewish community chorus of Washington, D.C., founded in 1976 and under the direction of Eleanor Epstein. Zemer Chai sings “the full range of Jewish choral repertoire, including liturgical and classical pieces, Jewish folk music from around the world, and new works composed especially for the choir.” Admission is by audition. Website has contact information, schedules and news about the chorus.
http://www.zemerchai.org/index.cfm

Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies, Women in Jewish Music

Ziegler, Dorothy Miriam

American. Born July 20, 1922. Muscatine, Iowa. Died March 1, 1972. Opera conductor, vocal coach, pianist, trombonist. In 1944 became a trombonist with St. Louis Symphony. 1946, MM, piano University of Southern California. 1955-1964 conductor of St. Louis Grand Opera Guild. Also taught St. Louis Institute of Music, Washington Unversity and the University of Southern Illinois. 1964, became director of Indiana University Opera Theater. 1966-1971, director University of Miami Opera Theater.

Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies

Ziegler, Yerachmiel ‘Rocky’

American singer-songwriter from Monsey. Grew up in NY. His music combines American folk traditions with Jewish soul, with some MBD and contempo Reform influences (a la Jeff Klepper) thrown in. He has many press reviews on the website, which is graphics rich and takes a while to load if you don’t have a fast connection. The website itself, looks good and sound quality was good on the clips.
http://www.yerachmiel.com/

Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies, Women in Jewish Music

Zilbershtein, Tziona

Singer Tziona Zilbershtein lives in northern Israel. She devotes her recordings specifically for women as a religious Jew. Tziona has a lovely voice and a lot of talent. She’s trained in music and dance in the United States, from classical ballet to Indonesian traditional dance, to Tai Chi. She’s also a multi-instrumentalist and composer. Tziona originally performed in the improvisitory jazz style but has since moved into accessible religious songs based on liturgical and biblical texts. Among her CDs is the newHanayni, preceded by Miriam’s Drum, a superb recording of spiritual song and dance. Her focus on rhythms is evident in earlier recordings such as the CD Aleynu. Tziona’s music is availble through her website:
http://koltziona.com/

Artists Bands & Performers, Biographies, Choral Music Arrangers

Zuckerman, Mark

Choral Composer and arranger. Has written numerous works and also arranged Yiddish choral works, often incorporating some English to help audiences appreciate the texts better. Zuckerman appears to be a highly professional and successful modern choral arranger. You can hear many selections of his music online though his nicely laid out catalog of works. Another nice highlight of the website is the program liner notes online. Take a look at the “Year in Yiddish Song” to get a flavor of the information available. According to his online bio, his “choral music has achieved an international reputation with choruses and at festivals in The Netherlands and Canada as well as in the United States. It’s been performed and recorded by the Gregg Smith Singers, The Goldene Keyt Singers, the New Yiddish Chorale, The Workman’s Circle Chorus, and Di Goldene Keyt/The Yiddish Chorale….…
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