The time has come: Yiddishland has a new stop – DRESDEN!

Read more and book here.

From now on you can register for the Yiddish Choir! You can find all detailed workshop descriptions and the biographies of our lecturers on the event website. Where words end, music begins – and where music sounds, we continue to tell our story together. Whether you have just discovered your love for Yiddish music or have been mastering your instrument for years, our courses are aimed at all levels. From the curious beginner to the experienced professional – every voice and every instrument finds its place with us.

Come and experience this international Yiddish/Eastern European choir as an instrument of beauty and power. Learn new repertoires and styles. Open your heart and energise your mind. 

There will be an instrumental course running parallel to this one. See the event web site for more.

Rooted in folklore, spiritual traditions, theatre and Art music, these songs describe people’s stories, struggles and resistance, hopes and celebrations. Songs that also echo the themes and melodies of their geographic hosts and neighbouring cultures: Ukrainian, Polish, Russian and many more. We will be singing in Yiddish and some of the other East European languages, exploring the “macaronic” tradition of interweaving tunes, themes and languages. This workshop will introduce some specific musical elements of these styles – ornamentation, phrasing, modes, timbres etc. 

With this multilingual and cross-cultural approach, we will explore the enduring power of Eastern European song and celebrate the connectedness of cultures and communities. 

You should be able to follow written music. Yiddish Choir will be led in English, German, and Russian. Translators available.

Saturday, September 5 . 10:00am – 6:00pm (with breaks and lunch)
Sunday, September 6.  10:00am – 4:30pm (with breaks and lunch) 

5:00pm Concert by participants (optional)

Discover the depth and special embellishments of the Yiddish singing tradition. Learn from a master who leads complex ensembles to emotional peak performances.

Led by Polina Shepherd – The voice of the East, the soul of the world

When Polina Shepherd takes the stage, she brings with her the spirit of the Tatar steppe, the Yiddish tradition of Russia, and the artistic sophistication of London. We invite you to an extraordinary masterclass with a woman who not only makes music, but brings stories to life through sound. Polina’s journey is as fascinating as her voice. Even during her studies in Kazan, she toured with Simcha , Russia’s first klezmer band after the fall of the Iron Curtain. At just 20 years old, she was already conducting ensembles – an experience that has made her one of the most sought-after teachers worldwide.

Their versatility is breathtaking. Film & Television: She conducted and sang in the award-winning series The Crown and composed the music for the drama The Windermere Children . Stage & Theatre: She shone as a musical consultant at the renowned National Theatre in London. A boundary crosser: Whether Baroque orchestra in the USA, silent film accompaniment or the avant-garde “Folk Cabaret” with Psoy Korolenko – Polina knows no stylistic boundaries.

As musical director of the Caravan Orchestra and Choir, Polina Shepherd continually demonstrates how singing can connect people. In her masterclass, the voice, as the most personal of all instruments, takes center stage. She teaches how to not only sing but also interpret Yiddish songs, how to mould choirs into a unified whole, and how, as a composer, to reimagine traditions into new forms.

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