Cantors

Mizrachi, Alberto

Alberto Mizrachi is now a world famous cantor and premiere interpreter of Jewish song. He’s often called the “Jewish Pavarotti”. He is cantor at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago. He concertizes all over the world, sings in nine languages, and has appeared in most of the major venues of the world. He’s recorded with the Milken project, been on PBS, and appeared in large concert stages. I first met the cantor, (then known as Abraham Mizrachi), in Cincinnati, as a graduate student when he hired me to be a song leader in a part time job at a local temple where he was cantor. It was there he gave me a gift set of the Coopersmith books The Songs We Sing and The More Songs We Sing and said “here, learn these”.…
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Miller, Benzion

Cantor Miller’s singing career began at age five, singing at many public gatherings, such as “Melave Malka” gatherings, Bar Mitzvahs and other Jewish functions. He acted as head soloist in the Yeshiva Choir and in solo performances. At the age of 18 Cantor Miller accepted the position as Cantor at the Hillside Jewish Center in Hillside, NJ. Benzion Miller is a graduate of Bobover Yeshiva in Brooklyn, NY and the Bobover Yeshiva Kedushat Zion in Bat Yam, Israel. He received his basic knowledge and training in the art of Chazzanut under the guidance of his father, the very popular Cantor and Mohel, Reb Aaron Miller. Cantor Miller studied Music Theory and Solfege under Cantor Samuel B. Taube of Montreal. He studied voice production at the Champagne School for Music in Montreal and with Dr.…
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Cantor Nathan Lam

Born in Los Angeles. Studied cantorial music under Allan Michelson. By age 16, he started leading services for High Holy Days. Cantor Lam holds an Honora Causa from the Jewish Theological Seminary. As the cantor at Midway Jewish Center in New York City, he began commissioning new musical works. In 1976, Cantor Lam assumed his post at Stephen S. Wise Temple. Cantor Nathan Lam has led Stephen S. Wise Temple for over 25 years, and heads the Academy for Jewish Religion s cantorial school. Brad Sherman honored Cantor Lam as having “performed in concerts across the world, appeared on television both nationally and internationally, performed opera and sung his vast Jewish repertoire in a multitude of public appearances. He has released a number of recordings, including `Legacy,’ which represents a landmark collaboration between the talents of the National Symphony of Israel and the kind of Jewish musical innovation exemplified by Cantor Lam, and other well known composers.…
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Kaye, Cantor Brett

Australian. “Soloist, Musical Director and Choirmaster for the Melbourne Jewish Male Voice Choir Brett Kaye discovered his love for Jewish music at the age of 6, when he joined the Great Synagogue Choir in Durban South Africa. Ten years later, he succeeded his father as conductor of the choir, a position he held until his immigration to Melbourne in 1993. On arrival in Melbourne Brett took up the position of Musical Director of both the North Eastern Synagogue Choir and the Keren Or Choir. It was at this time that Brett commenced his formal training in operatic studies, which culminated in him winning the coveted “Lygon Street Festa Best New Voice of the Year” award sponsorship, by the then Victorian State Opera His prize was a ticket and scholarship to study opera in Italy and London.…
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Halfon, Daniel

Cantor specializing in the Portuguese and Spanish traditions. Cantor Halfon is currently recording a set of two compact discs for a co-production of the Jewish Historical Museum of Amsterdam and Beth Hatefutsoth – The Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, Tel Aviv . His website includes clips of the classically trained baritone. Cantor Halfon is familiar with the New York, Amsterdam, London and Yerushalmi versions of the Portuguese and Spanish liturgical musics.
http://danielhalfon.com/

Feldman, Cantor Elihu

Cantor Elihu Feldman of synagogue B’nai Shalom in West Orange, New Jersey, has a regular monthly column, which is mounted on the synagogue’s website. These columns often contain valuable information about a variety of aspects of Jewish music, not the least of which are historical pieces and brief biographical sketches of famous Jewish musicians.
http://www.uscj.org/njersey/w-orange/Cantor/cantor-mes.htm

Tasat, Cantor Dr. Ramon

Born in Buenos Aires, Cantor Dr. Ramón Tasat learned Ladino, the language of the Sephardic people, at his grandmother’s knee; his style reflects the rich history and drama of this extraordinary culture. Trained in five different countries, he received a doctorate in voice performance from the University of Texas at Austin. His doctoral dissertation is entitled The Cantillations and Religious Poems of the Jews of Tangier, Morocco. Cantor Tasat has toured Europe with world-renowned Dr. Robert Shaw and has participated in international festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. Dr. Tasat has appeared in numerous opera productions including Le Nozze di Figaro, All Impressario, and La Traviata, and has drawn worldwide critical as well as audience acclaim. After attending Ramón s Cantata Ebraica concert, Rabbi Samuel Weintraub remarked, “Ramón Tasat is a gem.…
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Muller, Benjamin

Benjamin Muller is the Chief Chazzan of the Jewish community of Antwerp, Belgium. His website has his personal history, links to a CD page which has excerpts of the music. You have to click on the small bars below the titles. (Each bar is it’s own set of play/pause/stop buttons.) He also has some interesting histories of the great cantors with small clips. A very intersting “right and wrong” nusach combinations pages (using the metaphor of stoplights for “right” and “wrong” combinations) is a small teaching tool.
http://www.benjaminmuller.com

Bazian, Cantor Moshe (Murray)

Website devoted to the life and works of Cantor Bazian. Born in Kishinov, Bessarabia. Served Congregation Tifereth Israel in the Bronx. He later officiated at the Linas Hatzedek Synagogue and the Kingsbridge Heights Jewish Center. Moshe Bazian was Cantor at Congregation Shaarei T’filoh in Flushing. Site includes biography, pictures and mp3s of the cantor.
http://www.chazzan.org/