The Stranniki in San Diego, CA.
2025-01-30 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hillel of San Diego, 9009 La Jolla Scenic Dr. N, La Jolla, 92037, United States
THE STRANNIKI Polina Shepherd & Psoy Korolenko
Venue: University of San Diego.
Organised by Institute of Arts & Humanities

BOOK HERE

25 January – 4 February 2025. The Stranniki USA tour dates
25 January – Washington DC. Private club BardElEuro – 4005 Lawrence ave, Kensington, MD20895. Doors – 6.45pm, concert starts – 7.15pm. More here.
26 January – Philadelphia, PA.
Sweeney’s Station Saloon 13639 Philmont Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19116. Concert – 6pm. Read more and book here. Please note venue change.
28 January – New York, NY. CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Elebash Recitall Hall is located on the first floor of the CUNY Graduate Center, to the left past the security desk. 7-9pm. Register here.
30 January – San Diego, CA. Organised by the Institute of Arts & Humanities, University of San Diego. Venue – Hillel of San Diego in La Jolla. 4 p.m. More here. Book here.
31 January – Los Angeles, CA. House concert at Casa Masha in Encino, doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. Get in touch for details.
1 February – San Diego, CA. House concert at 8512 Donaker Street, San Diego, CA 92129. Doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. See event page here and Facebook event (in Russian) here. Get in touch for details.
2 February – Mountain View, CA. Samovar Hall. 1077 Independence Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043, Doors – 6pm. Read more and book here
4 February – Berkeley, CA. The Magnes Museum of Jewish Art and Life. Concert – 6pm. Register here.

Related Images:

The Stranniki in Los Angeles (Encino), CA. House concert
2025-01-31 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
THE STRANNIKI Polina Shepherd & Psoy Korolenko
Venue: Casa Masha in Encino – private house, please get in touch for information or join Casa Masha group on Facebook
Doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm.

25 January – 4 February 2025. The Stranniki USA tour dates
25 January – Washington DC. Private club BardElEuro – 4005 Lawrence ave, Kensington, MD20895. Doors – 6.45pm, concert starts – 7.15pm. More here.
26 January – Philadelphia, PA.
Sweeney’s Station Saloon 13639 Philmont Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19116. Concert – 6pm. Read more and book here. Please note venue change.
28 January – New York, NY. CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Elebash Recitall Hall is located on the first floor of the CUNY Graduate Center, to the left past the security desk. 7-9pm. Register here.
30 January – San Diego, CA. Organised by the Institute of Arts & Humanities, University of San Diego. Venue – Hillel of San Diego in La Jolla. 4 p.m. More here. Book here.
31 January – Los Angeles, CA. House concert at Casa Masha in Encino, doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. Get in touch for details.
1 February – San Diego, CA. House concert at 8512 Donaker Street, San Diego, CA 92129. Doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. See event page here and Facebook event (in Russian) here. Get in touch for details.
2 February – Mountain View, CA. Samovar Hall. 1077 Independence Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043, Doors – 6pm. Read more and book here
4 February – Berkeley, CA. The Magnes Museum of Jewish Art and Life. Concert – 6pm. Register here.

The Stranniki is a collaborative project of Polina Shepherd and Psoy Korolenko, two multilingual, cross-genre artists and authors, prominent in the Yiddish music scene for over two decades.
Soon after their initial mini-tour and presentation at the conference “Mediating a New Cold War in the Digital Age” at Dartmouth College (2016), the duo embarked on a cross-US tour, followed by more international concerts, including JetLAG Festival, featuring the program “Schlepping the Steppes and the Shtetl.”
Central to their repertoire is the concept of a “strannik” (wanderer; literally “wandering stranger,” “strange-nik”), roughly translatable into Yiddish as “navenadnik” (vagabond), and the associated archetype of “doroga” (Russian for road, path). The Stranniki draw upon, feature, and fuse elements of poetry and songs from Yiddish and Russian literature, folklore, and popular culture of the 19th and 20th centuries, organically weaving in their own original material. Their first mutual album unveils a distinctive continuity of texts, melodies, paths, and destinies, inspiring and informing in the peculiar 2020s as much as it ever has—if not more so.
Related Images:

The Stranniki in San Diego, CA. House concert.
2025-02-01 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
THE STRANNIKI Polina Shepherd & Psoy Korolenko
Scroll down for ENGLISH

Venue: 8512 Donaker Street, San Diego, CA 92129
Doors – 7pm
Двери открыты с 19.00

25 January – 4 February 2025. The Stranniki USA tour dates
25 January – Washington DC. Private club BardElEuro – 4005 Lawrence ave, Kensington, MD20895. Doors – 6.45pm, concert starts – 7.15pm. More here.
26 January – Philadelphia, PA.
Sweeney’s Station Saloon 13639 Philmont Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19116. Concert – 6pm. Read more and book here. Please note venue change.
28 January – New York, NY. CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Elebash Recitall Hall is located on the first floor of the CUNY Graduate Center, to the left past the security desk. 7-9pm. Register here.
30 January – San Diego, CA. Organised by the Institute of Arts & Humanities, University of San Diego. Venue – Hillel of San Diego in La Jolla. 4 p.m. More here. Book here.
31 January – Los Angeles, CA. House concert at Casa Masha in Encino, doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. Get in touch for details.
1 February – San Diego, CA. House concert at 8512 Donaker Street, San Diego, CA 92129. Doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. See event page here and Facebook event (in Russian) here. Get in touch for details.
2 February – Mountain View, CA. Samovar Hall. 1077 Independence Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043, Doors – 6pm. Read more and book here
4 February – Berkeley, CA. The Magnes Museum of Jewish Art and Life. Concert – 6pm. Register here.

The Stranniki — совместный проект Полины Шеперд (Великобритания) и Псоя Короленко (США), двух многоязычных и мультижанровых артистов, известных на сцене еврейской музыки уже более двух десятилетий. Центральными мотивами их совместной программы являются дорога и странник. The Stranniki обращаются к поэзии и песням из еврейской и русской литературы, фольклора и популярной культуры XIX и XX веков, органично вплетая в них собственный оригинальный материал.
Полина Шеперд – певица, композитор, преподаватель, руководитель хоров, организатор ряда фестивалей.
Псой Короленко – автор и исполнитель песен, преподаватель, один из организаторов фестиваля JetЛАГ.
Они уже выступали у нас совместно в 2016 году, теперь же представят свой первый совместный альбом, с существенно обновлённым репертуаром, в котором раскрывается уникальная преемственность текстов, мелодий, дорог и судеб, вдохновляющих и несущих смысл сегодня, возможно, даже больше чем когда-либо.
The Stranniki is a collaborative project of Polina Shepherd and Psoy Korolenko, two multilingual, cross-genre artists and authors, prominent in the Yiddish music scene for over two decades.
Soon after their initial mini-tour and presentation at the conference “Mediating a New Cold War in the Digital Age” at Dartmouth College (2016), the duo embarked on a cross-US tour, followed by more international concerts, including JetLAG Festival, featuring the program “Schlepping the Steppes and the Shtetl.”
Central to their repertoire is the concept of a “strannik” (wanderer; literally “wandering stranger,” “strange-nik”), roughly translatable into Yiddish as “navenadnik” (vagabond), and the associated archetype of “doroga” (Russian for road, path). The Stranniki draw upon, feature, and fuse elements of poetry and songs from Yiddish and Russian literature, folklore, and popular culture of the 19th and 20th centuries, organically weaving in their own original material. Their first mutual album unveils a distinctive continuity of texts, melodies, paths, and destinies, inspiring and informing in the peculiar 2020s as much as it ever has—if not more so.
Related Images:

The Stranniki in Mountain View, CA, USA
2025-02-02 18:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Samovar Hall, Palo Alto, United States
THE STRANNIKI Polina Shepherd & Psoy Korolenko
18:00 at Samovar Hall.
More info and BOOKING HERE

25 January – 4 February 2025. The Stranniki USA tour dates
25 January – Washington DC. Private club BardElEuro – 4005 Lawrence ave, Kensington, MD20895. Doors – 6.45pm, concert starts – 7.15pm. More here.
26 January – Philadelphia, PA.
Sweeney’s Station Saloon 13639 Philmont Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19116. Concert – 6pm. Read more and book here. Please note venue change.
28 January – New York, NY. CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Elebash Recitall Hall is located on the first floor of the CUNY Graduate Center, to the left past the security desk. 7-9pm. Register here.
30 January – San Diego, CA. Organised by the Institute of Arts & Humanities, University of San Diego. Venue – Hillel of San Diego in La Jolla. 4 p.m. More here. Book here.
31 January – Los Angeles, CA. House concert at Casa Masha in Encino, doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. Get in touch for details.
1 February – San Diego, CA. House concert at 8512 Donaker Street, San Diego, CA 92129. Doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. See event page here and Facebook event (in Russian) here. Get in touch for details.
2 February – Mountain View, CA. Samovar Hall. 1077 Independence Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043, Doors – 6pm. Read more and book here
4 February – Berkeley, CA. The Magnes Museum of Jewish Art and Life. Concert – 6pm. Register here.

The Stranniki is a collaborative project of Polina Shepherd and Psoy Korolenko, two multilingual, cross-genre artists and authors, prominent in the Yiddish music scene for over two decades.
Soon after their initial mini-tour and presentation at the conference “Mediating a New Cold War in the Digital Age” at Dartmouth College (2016), the duo embarked on a cross-US tour, followed by more international concerts, including JetLAG Festival, featuring the program “Schlepping the Steppes and the Shtetl.”
Central to their repertoire is the concept of a “strannik” (wanderer; literally “wandering stranger,” “strange-nik”), roughly translatable into Yiddish as “navenadnik” (vagabond), and the associated archetype of “doroga” (Russian for road, path). The Stranniki draw upon, feature, and fuse elements of poetry and songs from Yiddish and Russian literature, folklore, and popular culture of the 19th and 20th centuries, organically weaving in their own original material. Their first mutual album unveils a distinctive continuity of texts, melodies, paths, and destinies, inspiring and informing in the peculiar 2020s as much as it ever has—if not more so.
Related Images:

The Stranniki in Berkeley, CA.
2025-02-04 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life, 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
The Magnes Museum of Jewish Art and Life.
6pm

Register here

25 January – 4 February 2025. The Stranniki USA tour dates
25 January – Washington DC. Private club BardElEuro – 4005 Lawrence ave, Kensington, MD20895. Doors – 6.45pm, concert starts – 7.15pm. More here.
26 January – Philadelphia, PA.
Sweeney’s Station Saloon 13639 Philmont Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19116. Concert – 6pm. Read more and book here. Please note venue change.
28 January – New York, NY. CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Elebash Recitall Hall is located on the first floor of the CUNY Graduate Center, to the left past the security desk. 7-9pm. Register here.
30 January – San Diego, CA. Organised by the Institute of Arts & Humanities, University of San Diego. Venue – Hillel of San Diego in La Jolla. 4 p.m. More here. Book here.
31 January – Los Angeles, CA. House concert at Casa Masha in Encino, doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. Get in touch for details.
1 February – San Diego, CA. House concert at 8512 Donaker Street, San Diego, CA 92129. Doors – 7pm, concert – 8pm. See event page here and Facebook event (in Russian) here. Get in touch for details.
2 February – Mountain View, CA. Samovar Hall. 1077 Independence Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043, Doors – 6pm. Read more and book here
4 February – Berkeley, CA. The Magnes Museum of Jewish Art and Life. Concert – 6pm. Register here.

The Stranniki is a collaborative project of Polina Shepherd and Psoy Korolenko, two multilingual, cross-genre artists and authors, prominent in the Yiddish music scene for over two decades. Soon after their initial mini-tour and presentation at the conference “Mediating a New Cold War in the Digital Age” at Dartmouth College (2016), the duo embarked on a cross-US tour, followed by more international concerts. Central to their repertoire is the concept of a wanderer, and the associated archetype of “road/path”. The Stranniki draw upon, feature, and fuse elements of poetry and songs from Yiddish and Russian literature, folklore, and popular culture of the 19th and 20th centuries, organically weaving in their own original material. Their first mutual album unveils a distinctive continuity of texts, melodies, paths, and destinies, inspiring and informing in the peculiar 2020s as much as it ever has—if not more so.

Sponsors:
Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
Berkeley’s Center for Jewish Studies
Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies

Psoy Korolenko (Pavel Lion) is a multilingual singer-songwriter, translator, journalist and scholar, currently a Visiting Lecturer at Dartmouth College. He is a former scholar/artist-in-residence at Trinity College (Hartford, CT), University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Dickinson College. He has released numerous albums, both solo and in collaboration, as well as several books of essays, lyrics and translations. His style blends Soviet urban folk, guitar poetry, Yiddish theater songs, French chanson, Tropicalia and more. A Recording Academy voting member, Psoy co-organizes the international festival of music and arts JetLAG in NY state and co-created the Grammy-nominated Yiddish Glory, a project reviving lost WWII-era Yiddish songs from Ukraine in collaboration with the historian Anna Shternshis, Professor of Yiddish Studies at the University of Toronto.
Polina Shepherd is a Siberian-born, UK-based composer, singer, choir leader and educator, specializing in Yiddish and Russian music. Her unique style blends East European Jewish, Slavic and Turkic influences. She has collaborated with her husband, klezmer clarinetist and band leader Merlin Shepherd, Lorin Sklamberg of The Klezmatics and Psoy Korolenko, among others. She has served as program director for many festivals, including the large pandemic-time online project Step Forverts, featuring over 50 artists from around the world. She also co-produced Undzer Yiddishkayt, a collection of new songs by Eurasian klezmer artists. Polina is the artistic director of the Caravan Orchestra, a German-Israeli/Palestinian youth collaboration. Her work spans choral direction, improvisation and theatre, advancing Jewish music worldwide.

Related Images:

Welcome Spring with Vezanitsa and Slavic Voices in London
2025-02-15 14:30 - 16:30 UTC | St Mary’s Primrose Hill, Elsworthy Road, London, NW3 3DJ, United Kingdom
Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa and Slavic Voices choir in a double bill concert
BOOK HERE

Venue: Church of St. Mary-the-Virgin, Primrose Hill, 2 Elsworthy Road, London NW3 3DJ. 2.30pm.
Songs and dances from thousands of miles away welcome you into Spring and are brought to your doorstep Slavic Voices choir and Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa. Experience an amazing array of repertoire from cultures that meet at the Black Sea and spread like rays of the year’s first sunshine.
Bulgarian Dance Group Vezanitsa is a vibrant community uniting people from diverse backgrounds across Sussex. Traditional Bulgarian dance offers a rich repertoire, with each region of Bulgaria having its own style of dance, distinctive for their subtle rhythms and intricate footwork. Vezanitsa hosts weekly dance classes and performs at local events celebrating Bulgarian culture through festivals and social gatherings. Whether learning traditional steps or simply enjoying the joy of movement, Vezanitsa fosters connections and celebrates diversity, proving that dance is more than art — it’s a bridge to belonging. www.facebook.com/bgbrightondance.
Slavic Voices (London and Brighton & Hove) presents music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, classics by Tchaikovsky, Schnittke and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, and adding a guest visit by a song in Yiddish or Romanian. It is led by Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist.
Join us on the journey to explore and share this culturally unique and musically diverse repertoire with the wide world. www.polinashepherd.co.uk/choirs/slavic-voices/
Related Images:

Celebration of Yiddish Song, solo concert in Ilford, Essex. UK
2025-03-09 15:00 - 16:15 UTC | Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue, Oaks Lane, Newbury Park, Ilford, Essex, IG2 7PL, United Kingdom
More information here. Book here.
Join us for a breathtaking firework of songs to celebrate the joyous Purim. We are encouraged to be proud during Purim as we are reminded of the current struggles. The Purim story calls us to resist the forces that divide us, Purim gives us a beautiful sense of unity. It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire.
The history of Yiddishkeit is also a story of salvation. Despite attempts to eradicate its existence during the Holocaust, Yiddish, the 1000-year-old language is flourishing. People young and old, Jewish and non-Jewish, explore its rich cultural heritage all over the globe.
Polina Shepherd is one of the leading forces of the so-called Yiddish Revival, a composer, performer and cultural activist. She performs for audiences of different backgrounds and promotes building bridges and unity through music. She invites you celebrate Purim in a weave of folk songs, drinking songs, ballads, grandparents’ tales mixed with a few songs for us all to participate in.
Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue
Oaks Lane, Newbury Park, Ilford, Essex IG2 7PL
Related Images:

Welcome Spring with Vezanitsa and Slavic Voices in Brighton
2025-03-15 14:30 - 16:30 UTC | BHASVIC, 205 Dyke Road, Hove, BN3 6EG, United Kingdom
Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa and Slavic Voices choir in a double bill concert
BOOK HERE

Songs and dances from thousands of miles away welcome you into Spring and are brought to your doorstep by Slavic Voices choir and Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa. Experience an amazing array of repertoire from cultures that meet at the Black Sea and spread like rays of the year’s first sunshine.
Bulgarian Dance Group Vezanitsa is a vibrant community uniting people from diverse backgrounds across Sussex. Traditional Bulgarian dance offers a rich repertoire, with each region of Bulgaria having its own style of dance, distinctive for their subtle rhythms and intricate footwork. Vezanitsa hosts weekly dance classes and performs at local events celebrating Bulgarian culture through festivals and social gatherings. Whether learning traditional steps or simply enjoying the joy of movement, Vezanitsa fosters connections and celebrates diversity, proving that dance is more than art — it’s a bridge to belonging. www.facebook.com/bgbrightondance.
Slavic Voices (London and Brighton & Hove) presents music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, classics by Tchaikovsky, Schnittke and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, and adding a guest visit by a song in Yiddish or Romanian. It is led by Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist.
Join us on the journey to explore and share this culturally unique and musically diverse repertoire with the wide world. www.polinashepherd.co.uk/choirs/slavic-voices/
Related Images:

WeltMusik Chorwoche. Residential workshop and concerts near Hamburg. Germany.
2025-03-17 - 2025-03-22 | Schullandheim Haus Lankau, Vossbergweg 38, Lankau, 22115, Germany
See main event web page in German
BOOK HERE

Experience a week of choral singing in Haus Lankau on the Elbe-Lübeck Canal finishing with concerts in Mustin and Hamburg. Enjoy songs from all over the world (including Georgia, USA, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe) and body-oriented voice training. Attend final concerts in Mustin and in Hamburg.
More information (in German) here: https://www.nathanieldamon.com/chor/Further information: nathanieldamon@gmail.com
Polina Shepherd is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist. She comes from Siberia and now lives in Brighton, UK. Nathaniel Damon comes from the USA, lives in Hamburg, where he founded the World Music Choir almost 20 years ago. He is a choir director, multi-instrumentalist, clown, improvisation and life artist. Together they will guide you through an evening choral week in the Schullandheim Haus Lankau on the Elbe-Lübeck Canal near Mölln.Accommodation: The Schullandheim Haus Lankau is wonderfully located in the most beautiful nature, on the Elbe-Lübeck Canal in between Mölln and Ratzeburg (approx. 60 minutes by car from Hamburg. There is full vegetarian/vegan catering. In the Schullandheim there are mainly 4-bed rooms with shower/bath. There is only a very limited double room for a surcharge (12 € per person/night)

Payment according to self-assessment: (Sliding Scale): each person pays within one if possible given framework of €1000 – €600. In order for the workshop to be financially viable, it is important that everyone pays the full contribution.Workshop starts on Monday 17 March, arrival at 11am – 12pm, the first meal is at 12:00, the first workshop starts at 13:00Workshop ends on Saturday around 8:30 p.m. after the final concert (concert starts at 7 p.m.)Workshop language: mainly English, with selective translation into German if needed.Vegetarian full board: first meal is on Monday at 12:00. Last meal: Breakfast on Saturday.Additional meals: The following meal must be self- financed: Saturday lunchDrive to Hamburg: The trips to Mustin on Friday evening and on Saturday in Hamburg are financed by the participants themselves (we organize carpooling with public transport and cars).Leaders’ biogs:

Nathaniel DamonNathaniel comes from the US state of Vermont, where he sang as a teenager with the World Music Ensemble Village Harmony. He studied singing at the HfMT in Hamburg and founded the World Music Choir Hamburg in 2005, which currently consists of 60 singers. He gives choir workshops on improvisation & World music, accompanies dance events as a multi-instrumentalist & singer and has been composing his own choral music since 2018. His choral work is characterized by his inner desire for Community and inclusivity. Since he started contact improvisation with his wife Angela-Mara in 2011, he has combined the insights and methods from these physical experiences with his choral work.
Polina Shepherd was raised in a Cossack / Jewish family in Tatarstan, Russia. Whilst studying in Kazan State Academy in the 1990s, she toured with Russia′s first klezmer band after Perestroika, Simcha. By her early 20s she was a Yiddish choir and klezmer band leader, composer, touring musician, educator and festival organiser. Moved to the UK in 2003. Her recent work includes touring with Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland (OH, USA) Grammy-winning baroque orchestra and ‘Folk-Cabaret’ The Stranniki with Psoy Korolenko (UK-USA). As a pianist, she plays live accompaniment to B&W silent films from the 1910-1930s in The Sound & Light Cinematic Duo. In cinema, she recorded for The Windermere Children and appears conducting and soloing in TV series The Crown. In theatre, most recently she’s been Music Adviser and recorded for National Theatre co-production of Kin by Amit Lahav; Music Adviser and arranger for a A Secret About Joy, by Sarah Brown in Sibiu, Romania. Polina’s choral work has been published internationally, most recently in Edition Peters Yiddish Choral Series. Music Director of Caravan Orchestra and Choir, an international project for young musicians with classical, jazz and Arab music backgrounds.Cancellation conditions:– general: processing fee of 50 €– from 4 weeks before the festival: 100 €– from 7 days before the festival: full amountImage / sound recordings: Sound recordings, photos, live filming of the concert will be made. By participating in the workshop, you agree that this material can be used e.g. for advertising of further events on the website of Nathaniel Damon and on social networks. Please speak to Nathaniel if this is a problem for you.Your data: for the purpose of arranging carpooling and to network socially/privately, I will share a list with the email addresses, telephone numbers and home addresses of all participants before the course begins. If you do not want to be included in this, please send me an extra email with a clear subject. Thank you!

Room layout / accommodation: There are mainly 4-bed rooms with shower/bath. There is only a very limited double room for a surcharge (12 € per person / night – to be paid in cash on site). If you absolutely need a double room or would like to share a room with certain other people, please let us know below.

Bed linen: Please take three-part bed linen with you.

Related Images:

Weltmusik Project Choir concert in Mustin, Germany
2025-03-21 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Paris)
Maria-Magdalenen-Kirche
Dorfstraße 20, 23911
MUSTIN, Germany

FREE, donations on the door

Come and hear a lovely programme of songs from all over the world (including Georgia, USA, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe presented by a group of singers after a week of choral singing – WeltMusik Chorwoche – in Haus Lankau on the Elbe-Lübeck Canal. The choir will be sharing their repertoire learnt from two international choir leaders Nathaniel Damon and Polina Shepherd.
Read more (and join us!) about the WeltMusik Chorwoche here.

Nathaniel Damon comes from the USA, lives in Hamburg, where he founded the World Music Choir almost 20 years ago. He is a choir director, multi-instrumentalist, clown, improvisation and life artist.

Polina Shepherd is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist. She comes from Siberia and now lives in Brighton, UK.

Related Images:

Weltmusik Project Choir concert in Hamburg, Germany
2025-03-22 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Paris)
St. Petri Kirche Altona
Schmarjestraße 28, 22767
Hamburg, Germany

FREE, donations on the door.

Come and hear a lovely programme of songs from all over the world (including Georgia, USA, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe presented by a group of singers after a week of choral singing – WeltMusik Chorwoche – in Haus Lankau on the Elbe-Lübeck Canal. The choir will be sharing their repertoire learnt from two international choir leaders Nathaniel Damon and Polina Shepherd.
Read more (and join us!) about the WeltMusik Chorwoche here.

Nathaniel Damon comes from the USA, lives in Hamburg, where he founded the World Music Choir almost 20 years ago. He is a choir director, multi-instrumentalist, clown, improvisation and life artist.

Polina Shepherd is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist. She comes from Siberia and now lives in Brighton, UK.

Related Images:

Surrey Voices Festival-Contest for young musicians. Guildford. Surrey, UK
2025-05-17 10:00 - 17:30 UTC | Rydes Hill Preparatory School, Aldershot Road, Guildford, GU2 8BP, United Kingdom
For the second time, a festival of Slavic music for children is being held in Guildford. Young (under 18) amateur vocalists, violinists, pianists, choirs and music theatre groups are invited to participate.
The Festival strives to share and popularise Slavic music to the wide UK audience primarily in Surrey. The First Festival took place in 2024 and was met with great enthusiasm in the area.
Winners of the Contest will get small cash prizes. Despite this being a Contest, the organisers believe that everyone should be celebrated and encouraged for their effort to prepare for the event, to become musicians in the long run – so there will be souvenir awards for everyone.

The judges (TBC)
Piano – Eralys Fernandez (UK) and Brigitte Subkov (UK) – pianoVocal soloists, ensembles and choirs – Polina Shepherd (UK)Violin – Elena Savchenko (Italy)

The contest starts for vocalists, pianists and violinists simultaneously in different venues of the school at 2pm (start time may change slightly due to the number of participants).
Music theatre groups and theatre plays are admitted directly to the final after selection by video recordings.
Final of all contestants and gala concert 4pm. Open to public.

Participation fee – £30 per performance item.Applications are accepted via e-mail: choir@rusch.com
Booking fee for the Gala concert for public: £5
Organised by the Russian School and Choir in Guildford.
Read full information here (in Russian, English will be added soon): https://www.ruscg.com/festivals

Related Images:

Slavic Voices - Polina Shepherd choral workshop. Bristol.
2025-06-14 12:00 - 14:00 UTC | St Mary Redcliffe, St Mary the Virgin Church Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6RT, United Kingdom
Join us for a workshop and concert in the stunning setting of St. Mary Redcliffe in Bristol together with Heartwood Chorus. Organised by PitchBlend. There will be an open to public choral workshop before the concert and participants will be invited to join Slavic Voices in a few songs in the concert.
SEE EVENT ON St Mary Redcliffe website
BOOK HERE

Sat 14th Jun 12:00pm – 2:00pm

St Mary Redcliffe church undercroft, The Parish Office, 12 Colston Parade, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RA, UK map

Slavic Voices workshop is open to all. Come and learn some songs from Slavic Voices’ repertoire, ranging from ancient Slavic pagan ritual songs to a Macedonian ballad and a classical Orthodox score. Teaching both by ear and with sheet music. Participants will have the option of joining Slavic Voices choir in concert.
Time: 12 to 2pm
Led by Slavic Voices choir director Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist. Originally from Siberia, Polina now lives in Brighton. She grew up singing at family gatherings where she accompanied her grandfather, a WWII veteran and her whole Cossack / Jewish family from the age of seven. Since moving to the UK in 2003 Polina has been performing, teaching, composing and touring with various projects internationally.
Download workshop sheet music here 14 June Bristol workshop materials, Workshop with Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd. Bristol. Lyrics only
“Polina is a brilliant and talented teacher and coach… We all learned and sang with new freedom; we were encouraged to create harmonies, and together made music that I suspect was only possible due to Polina.”
Carol D, residential workshop participant
“Most enthusiastic and inspiring. Also extremely knowledgeable – not only about music. A great introduction to Slavic culture…”
BW, workshop participant
”Polina’s an expert and experienced choir leader and her enthusiasm for choral singing is infectious.”
NK, workshop participant
“Wonderful music from some very unique genres, much of which has been new to me. Polina’s style of teaching and selection of music have provided an amazing opportunity to listen and learn from an incredibly talented musician.”
NT, online workshop participant

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Slavic Voices and Heartwood Chorus in Bristol. concert.
2025-06-14 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | St Mary Redcliffe, St Mary the Virgin Church Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6RT, United Kingdom
Join us for a workshop and concert in the stunning setting of St. Mary Redcliffe in Bristol together with Heartwood Chorus. Organised by PitchBlend. There will be an open to public choral workshop before the concert and participants will be invited to join Slavic Voices in a few songs in the concert.
BOOK HERE
See event on St Mary Redcliffe website here

CONCERT
Slavic Voices choir, with support from Heartwood Chorus

Slavic Voices choir presents music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, classics by Tchaikovsky, Schnittke and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, and sometimes Yiddish or Romanian.

Heartwood Chorus
A 48-strong a cappella folk choir, Heartwood sings songs whose murky origins stretch back centuries and centuries. They sing songs their grannies taught them. They sing songs of rebellion, of love, of war, of sex, of death, of the turning of the seasons.
Their voices come together to make a powerful sound which can be, by turns, huge or delicate. Original arrangements, quality singing and a singular vision are quickly transforming this choir from its origins as a community project into artists in their own right on the UK folk scene.

There will be a WORKSHOP with Polina Shepherd before the concert.
Open to all. Led by Slavic Voices choir director Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd. Come and learn a few songs from Slavic Voices’ repertoire ranging from ancient Slavic pagan ritual songs to a Macedonian ballad and a classical Orthodox score. Teaching both by ear and with sheet music. Participants will have the option of joining Slavic Voices choir in concert.

TICKET PRICES£38/28/18 workshop and concert£20/15/10 workshop or concert only
TIMINGSWorkshop – 12–2pm, in the undercroft
Concert – 3–5pm, doors open at 2.30pm. Including interval with refreshments.

Slavic Voices at St Mary Redcliffe programme

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Concert with Tropanka. Bristol
2025-06-15 14:00 - 17:00 UTC | Mr Wolfs, 32 St Nicholas St, Bristol, BS1 1TG, United Kingdom
A gig held at Mr Wolfs on Sunday 15th June.
BOOK HERE
Doors are at 13:30 with the event starting at 14:00. The event finishes at 17:00.
World renowned Cossack/Jewish singer, musician, composer and choir leader, Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, will give an intimate solo concert, before being joined by rising Bristol Balkan and klezmer group, Tropanka. Expect stunning vocals, foot stomping instrumentals and exciting collaborative improvisations.
Tropanka are a collective of Bristol and London based musicians, who play uptempo Eastern European tunes. Tropanka is a Bulgarian dance that literally means, ‘the stompy one’. So expect high energy klezmer to get you moving, along with unique improvised collaborations between Tropanka and Polina.
Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist. Originally from Siberia, Polina now lives in Brighton. She grew up singing at family gatherings where she accompanied her grandfather, a WWII veteran and her whole Cossack / Jewish family from the age of seven. Since moving to the UK in 2003 Polina has been performing, teaching, composing and touring with various projects internationally.
Entry requirements: 18+
This gig follows a workshop and concert with Polina and her choir, Slavic Voices, with support from Bristol folk choir, Heartwood Chorus on SATURDAY 14 JUNE 12-5.00PM
Further information and tickets here:
https://hdfst.uk/e127757
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Caravan Orchestra & Choir in Weimar, Germany
2025-08-14 20:00 - 22:00 (Europe/Paris) | Mon Ami, Goetheplatz 11, Weimar, , 99423, Germany
Last year, the artistic director of Caravan Orchestra and Choir, Polina Shepherd, introduced her new musical setting of Meyer Kharats’ Yiddish poem Mir farshidene, mir nemen zikh arum (We, who are different, embrace each other).
There could hardly be a more fitting motto for Caravan Orchestra & Choir. Recipient of the Shimon Peres Prize in 2018, it brings together young musicians with very different backgrounds from Germany and Israel for three weeks, during which they discover and come to value their many differences, as well as what they have in common.
Guided by internationally renowned musicians, the Caravan Orchestra & Choir dives into a centuries-old exchange among diverse musical cultures, including Yiddish, Sephardic, Arabic, Ottoman and Greco-Turkish instrumental and vocal music. Over three weeks of rehearsing and traveling together, the young musicians come to recognize these great traditions as a shared heritage and a living source of new musical creativity.

Concerts:
14 August Gugend- und Kulturzentrum Mon Ami. Weimar. Book here.
15 August – Eisenach, Wandelhalle. Book here.
16 August – Erfurt, Zughafen. „Mir farshidene, mir nemen zikh arum” concert. Book here.
17 August – Weimar. Marktplatz (part of a bigger programme): 25 Years Yiddish Summer Weimar celebration. Book here.

The Caravan Orchestra was founded in the summer of 2017, as an exchange project between Yiddish Summer Weimar (Germany) and the Department of Music of the University of Haifa (Israel), in cooperation with the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar (Germany).

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Caravan Orchestra and Choir in Eisenach, Germany
2025-08-15 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | Wandelhalle, Wartburgallee 53, Eisenach, 99817

Caravan Orchestra and Choir in Erfurt, Germany.
2025-08-16 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | Zughafen, Zum Güterbahnhof 20, Erfurt, Germany

Mazltov! Yiddish Summer Weimar 25th Anniversary Gala Concert. Weimar, Germany
2025-08-17 16:00 - 22:00 UTC | Marktplatz, Marktplatz, Weimar, 99423
Sun, Aug 17 ‘25 04:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Marktplatz

The YSW 25th anniversary gala concert will take place on a large open-air stage directly in front of City Hall on Weimar’s historic Market Square. The concert will feature many of the audience favorites from over the years in a variety-filled program ranging from traditional klezmer to contemporary, progressive Yiddish rock. Some seating is available and there will also be plenty of room for dancing.
Admission: €20.00 / €10.00
Caravan Orchestra and Choir will play one of the final sets of the celebration.
Other concerts by Caravan Orchestra and Choir:
14 August Gugend- und Kulturzentrum Mon Ami. Weimar. Book here.
15 August – Eisenach, Wandelhalle. Book here.
16 August – Erfurt, Zughafen. „Mir farshidene, mir nemen zikh arum” concert. Book here.
17 August – Weimar. Marktplatz (part of a bigger programme): 25 Years Yiddish Summer Weimar celebration. Book here.
Caravan Orchestra and Choir was founded in the summer of 2017, as an exchange project between Yiddish Summer Weimar (Germany) and the Department of Music of the University of Haifa (Israel), in cooperation with the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar (Germany).

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Running Through the Woods. Double Klezmer Duo. Brighton, UK
2025-09-05 19:00 - 23:00 UTC | The Rose Hill, 70-71 ROSEHILL TERRACE, BRIGHTON, East Sussex, BN1 4JJ, United Kingdom
Doors 7 pm.
BOOK HERE
Flora Curzon (violin/voice)
Francesca Ter-Berg (‘cello/voice)
Merlin Shepherd (clarinets)
Polina Shepherd (voice, piano)
Come and hear the first time these four outstanding players come together as a quartet.
They will blend east European instrumental and vocal traditions pushing boundaries and expectations. All whilst staying close to the roots. A tradition brought up to date.
This will be an evening of spontaneity, flare and fun.
Expect to be on the edge of your seat. Or better still, up and dancing.
Multi-award-nominated experimental/folk duo Fran & Flora captivate audiences with their reinventions of traditional Eastern European melodies and songs. Francesca Ter-Berg (cello/voice) and Flora Curzon (violin/voice) draw inspiration from archival recordings, recovered manuscripts and studying with traditional masters, infusing source material with drones, loops, free improvisation and electronics to create a “border-defying” aesthetic (Mojo).
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo (clarinets/voice/piano) perform together in a way that is rarely encountered. They play music from several linked cultures with improvisation, freedom and spontaneity. The Duo’s playful approach to their root traditions – klezmer, Slavic, East European and southern Mediterranean – is full of knowledge and deference. It creates a unique sound that embraces the enduring spirit of folklore and takes the listener to new dimensions.
This is a premiere of these four outstanding players as a quartet. Expect an evening of improvisation, flare and fun. Those of you looking for heart-felt and passionate songs will be thrilled too. Performing both traditional and new compositions, they merge sounds of the Old World with sounds of the New.
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Merlin and Polina Shepherd at JimFest, Laughton, East Sussex. UK.
2025-09-06
The duo will play a concert in Festival of Jim celebrating the life of our friend musician, writer and performer Jim Marcovitch. The festival takes place in a secluded clearing in an ancient woodland, with the main stage set up among the trees.
Lineup is announced here. Tickets will be released on 7 May here.

Now in its 17th year, this tiny but very popular festival celebrates the life of musician, writer and performer Jim Marcovitch, and is organised by a small group of his family and friends. Boasting a varied line-up of up-and-coming musicians and comedians, it is perfect for lovers of good music and friendly company who want to avoid the crowds and commercial nonsense of larger festivals. Click here to see images

The festival takes place in a secluded clearing in an ancient woodland, with the main stage set up among the trees. Our first act normally begins around 2.30pm, and as dusk falls, the trees sparkle with fairy lights. We serve a delicious free meal in the evening, which you can eat around the camp fire, before our headlining bands rock the woods into the night.

We are very family-friendly, and welcome children of all ages. As well as the main stage acts, there is a children’s area with activities and performers during the day, and our young festival-goers love to explore and play in the woods around the festival site.

The Festival of Jim makes no profit. An army of volunteers help with the organising and setting up, and money from ticket sales pays for the performers, caterers, technical staff, equipment and venue. Anything left over goes towards the following year’s festival and we make contributions to different charities each year….go to the charity page to see who we’ve donated to.
​
What festival-goers say about us…

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Bratislava, Slovakia.
2025-09-11 | Arena Theatre, Viedenská cesta 10, Bratislava, 851 01, Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
11 September – Bratislava, Slovakia.
Preßburger Klezmer Band 30th Anniversary
Merlin and Polina Shepherd with Fran and Flora – a quartet – will play a set and join the Pressburger Klezmer Band on stage for the second set in their anniversary celebration. Below is the information in Slovak.

Nenechajte si ujsť jedinečný koncert skupiny PREßBURGER KLEZMER BIG BAND, ktorá zároveň uvedie do života svoje nové CD „Preßburger Klezmer Big Band LIVE“!
Špeciálnym hosťom večera bude Running Through The Woods z Veľkej Británie. V tomto unikátnom spojení zaznejú dve výrazné britské duá – Merlin & Polina Shepherd (improvizácia, sloboda, spontánnosť a prepojenie kultúr) a Fran & Flora (originálna zmes folku, avantgardy a populárnej hudby).
Príďte osláviť 30 rokov výnimočnej hudby, energie a radosti zo spoločného tvorenia! Nezmeškajte koncert, ktorý sa stane hudobnou udalosťou roka a spojí špičkových umelcov z domova aj zo zahraničia.
„Polina and Merlin Shepherd – Led Zeppelin súčasnej jidiš hudby.” – Seth Rogovoy, autor knihy „The Essential Klezmer“
Duo Merlin a Polina Shepherd (klarinety, spev, klavír) vystupuje spoločne spôsobom, s akým sa stretávame len zriedka. Hrajú hudbu z niekoľkých prepojených kultúr s improvizáciou, slobodou a spontánnosťou. Hravý prístup dua k ich koreňovým tradíciám – klezmeru, slovanským, východoeurópskym a juhostredomorským – je plný poznania a úcty. Vytvára jedinečný zvuk, ktorý v sebe zahŕňa pretrvávajúceho ducha folklóru a poslucháča posúva do nových dimenzií.
Merlin & Polina vystupujú ako duo od roku 2004. Okrem vlastných koncertov medzinárodne spolupracujú s interpretmi rôznych odborov: barokovým orchestrom, punkovou kapelou, súčasnými tanečníkmi, DJ-mi, divadelnými produkciami…
Fran & Flora
Kritikou oceňované nahrávky a strhujúce živé vystúpenia Fran & Flora viedli k ich rýchlemu vzostupu v oblasti folku, avantgardy a populárnej hudby. Druhý album Precious Collection (Hidden Notes Records’24, Guardian Folk Album of the Year) predstavuje unikátne prepracovaný jidiš materiál a pôvodné kompozície pre violončelo, husle, elektroniku, hlasy a bicie, ktoré vytvárajú intímnu, sugestívnu a „hranice prekračujúcu“ (Mojo) estetiku.
Duo čerpá materiál priamo z archívnych nahrávok, nájdených rukopisov a štúdia s majstrami tradičnej hudby od hôr Maramureșu až po Berlín a New York. Fran & Flora zďaleka nereprodukujú hudbu z minulej éry, ich zložito vymodelovaný súčasný a virtuózny zvuk bol opísaný ako „rovnako experimentálny ako prístupný“ (The Guardian).
Fran & Flora, uznávaní ako poprední umelci vo svojom odbore, očarili publikum od Londýna až po Montreal a vystupovali pred vypredaným publikom na prestížnych festivaloch a miestach.

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Yiddish Song Marathon online
2025-09-14 | Online
Join us on September 14 for a special online Yiddish Song Marathon celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Workers Circle!For 10 hours beginning at 10:00 AM ET Yiddish performers (including Polina Shepherd) and cultural activists from around the world will share their favourite songs and recollections. Throughout the day you’ll hear ballads, resistance anthems, holiday songs, love songs and more from The Yosl and Chana Mlotek Yiddish Song Collection at the Workers Circle; a total of 125 songs for 125 years.This event is free, but we welcome donations to strengthen our Yiddish programming.
For a gift of $125, we will send you an exclusive Workers Circle Anniversary Yiddish Song Collection featuring recordings and videos from generations of Workers Circle’s cultural events.Mark your calendar for September 14 and let’s toast l’khayim to the next 125 years!Register here: https://shorturl.at/9s6jO
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Slavic Voices Brighton season starts.
2025-09-16 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Brighton Unitarian Church
We are a non auditioned choir and welcome all singers. Join any time.
Slavic Voices London & Brighton choir present music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Schnittke and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, sometimes even Yiddish or Romanian. Slavic Voices perform in a way that is rarely encountered in the choral world. There is freedom and spontaneity in their approach to folklore as well as precision and deep focus in their classical repertoire, presented with great attention to cultural context, history and style.
Taster session is free. Full term fee when joining the choir. Discounts available when joining half way through the term. Please get in touch if you are interested in joining and specify which choir.
Members of SVL can come to Brighton choir rehearsals as a bonus and vice versa.
Our Autumn, Winter and Spring terms are usually blocks of 10 sessions with a fee of £80 (£60 students) term fee payable in cash, cheque to Polina Shepherd or via PayPal using Friends and Family option here
We opened in September 2023 and now have around 90 singers with all kinds of backgrounds. We’ve performed joint concerts with a Macedonian Folk Duo Filip Arilon and Stojan Stojanov (Macedonia), Maspindzeli Georgian choir (London), Heartwood Chorus in Bristol, Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa (Brighton) and even collaborated with Buffo’s Wake – a UK Klezmer-Punk Carnival Chaos Band.
by Robert Young
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Slavic Voices London season starts
2025-09-18 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
We are a non auditioned choir and welcome all singers. Join any time.
Slavic Voices London & Brighton choir present music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Schnittke and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, sometimes even Yiddish or Romanian. Slavic Voices perform in a way that is rarely encountered in the choral world. There is freedom and spontaneity in their approach to folklore as well as precision and deep focus in their classical repertoire, presented with great attention to cultural context, history and style.
Taster session is free. Full term fee when joining the choir. Discounts available when joining half way through the term. Please get in touch if you are interested in joining and specify which choir.
Members of SVL can come to Brighton choir rehearsals as a bonus and vice versa.
Our Autumn, Winter and Spring terms are usually blocks of 10 sessions with a fee of £80 (£60 students) term fee payable in cash, cheque to Polina Shepherd or via PayPal using Friends and Family option here
We opened in September 2023 and now have around 90 singers with all kinds of backgrounds. We’ve performed joint concerts with a Macedonian Folk Duo Filip Arilon and Stojan Stojanov (Macedonia), Maspindzeli Georgian choir (London), Heartwood Chorus in Bristol, Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa (Brighton) and even collaborated with Buffo’s Wake – a UK Klezmer-Punk Carnival Chaos Band.
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Songs from the Road, duo with Stella Morgenstern. Hamburg, Germany
2025-09-20 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | Goldbekhaus e.V., Moorfuhrtweg 9, Hamburg, 22301, Germany
BOOK HERE
SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH

Hanse Shtetl presents:
Polina Shepherd aus Brighton ist zu Gast im HanseShtetl für ein Duo-Konzert mit Stella Morgenstern. Die Sängerinnen widmen sich Liedern von unterwegs. Darin thematisieren sie Migration und Wanderschaft und besingen die Sehnsucht nach einem besseren Leben. Despotismus, aber auch die globale Erwärmung lassen immer mehr Menschen ihre Heimaten verlassen.
Das HanseShtetl im Goldbekhaus präsentiert auch 2025 wieder Konzerte und Sessions. Musiker und Musikerinnen aus dem HanseShtetl in Hamburg laden Freunde aus der Jiddisch-Szene ein zu Duo-Konzerten und Sessions. Mit insgesamt vier Duo-Konzerten zeigt das HanseShtetl die Vielfalt jiddischer Musik. Denn Künstlerinnen und Künstler aus Hamburg sind Teil der internationalen Musikszene und vernetzt im Global Yiddish Shtetl.
Die Duo-Konzerte sind immer samstags und am darauffolgenden Sonntag leiten die Künstler die Klezmersessions im Goldbekhaus mit offener Bühne für Alle (Sonntag 21. September 15 – 17 Uhr).
Die Sängerin Polina Shepherd (Gesang, Klavier) ist auch Komponistin, Pädagogin und Kulturaktivistin. Sie stammt ursprünglich aus Sibirien und lebt seit 2003 in Brighton/UK. Seitdem tritt Polina Shepherd auf, unterrichtet, komponiert und tourt mit verschiedenen internationalen Projekten. Ihr Gesang ist tief in der osteuropäischen jüdischen und russischen Folklore verwurzelt. Sie wuchs auf in Tatarstan kam so auch der islamischen Ornamentik und Klangfarbe nahe, was in ihrem einzigartigen Gesangsstil zu hören ist.
Stella Morgenstern (Gesang, Ukulele) hat die Begegnung mit den Klezmatics vor mehr als 25 Jahren die Welt der jiddischen Musik eröffnet und bis heute nicht losgelassen. Sie hat sich vertieft in die alten Balladen, um schließlich mit neuen Kompositionen eigene Wege zu gehen, wie etwa mit ihrem Ensemble Stella’s Morgenstern. Sie hat sich auf Chansons und Volkslieder spezialisiert. Markenzeichen ist ihre tiefe Altstimme, die sie narrativ einsetzt. Außerdem kuratiert Stella Konzertreihen, um für die Schönheit und Vielfalt jiddischer Musik zu begeistern. Mit Jürgen Krenz und anderen hat sie dafür das HanseShtetl gegründet.

Mit: Polina Shepherd (Gesang, Klavier); Stella Morgenstern (Gesang, Ukulele); gefördert von der Bezirksversammlung Hamburg Nord
Ort: Bühne zum Hof
Eintritt: AK 20,- | VVK 17,- | erm. 10,- (ggf. zzgl. VVK-Gebühren)

Polina Shepherd from Brighton is a guest at the HanseShtetl for a duo concert with Stella Morgenstern. The singers will perform songs from their travels – songs about migration, wandering and longing for a better life.
The HanseShtetl in the Goldbekhaus will once again present concerts and sessions in 2025. Musicians from the HanseShtetl in Hamburg invite friends from the Yiddish scene to duo concerts and sessions. With a total of four duo concerts, the HanseShtetl will showcase the diversity of Yiddish music. Artists from Hamburg are part of the international music scene and network in the Global Yiddish Shtetl.
The duo concerts are always on Saturdays, and the following Sunday, the artists lead the Klezmer Sessions at the Goldbekhaus with an open stage for everyone (Sunday, September 21, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.).
Singer Polina Shepherd (vocals, piano) is also a composer, educator, and cultural activist. Originally from Siberia, she has lived in Brighton, UK, since 2003. Since then, Polina Shepherd has performed, taught, composed, and toured with various international projects. Her singing is deeply rooted in Eastern European Jewish and Russian folklore. Growing up in Tatarstan, she was also exposed to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique vocal style.
For Stella Morgenstern (vocals, ukulele), her encounter with the Klezmatics more than 25 years ago opened her eyes to the world of Yiddish music, and it hasn’t let go of her since. She has immersed herself in the old ballads before finally forging her own path with new compositions, such as with her ensemble Stella’s Morgenstern. She specializes in chansons and folk songs. Her trademark is her deep alto voice, which she uses narratively. Stella also curates concert series to inspire enthusiasm for the beauty and diversity of Yiddish music. She founded the HanseShtetl with Jürgen Krenz and others for this purpose.
Featuring: Polina Shepherd (vocals, piano); Stella Morgenstern (vocals, ukulele); supported by the Hamburg North District Assembly
Venue: Bühne zum Hof
Admission: Door €20 | Advance booking €17 | Concessions €10 (plus advance booking fees if applicable)

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En Masse Festival. Ballads of Eastern Europe. Bristol. UK
2025-10-10 17:00 - 22:00 UTC | Cafe Kino, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU, United Kingdom
En Masse Festival. Workshop and Concert at Cafe Kino.
Workshop 6-7.30pm, concert – 8.30pm (doors 8pm) – 9.30pm.
Book workshop here (free of charge)
Book concert here (free of charge)
Link to RSVP for workshop (information on concert below) > https://forms.gle/u47HfXb1c9wSAsJNA (Limited space)
Workshop:
Shepherd presents a rich combination of her two blood cultures. These are songs from the Steppes and the Shtetl with extra spices from a Tatar Bazaar, washed down with a fisherman’s song from Odessa… Folklore and popular songs, powerful and profound wordless, traditional and Art songs in harmonies in Russian, Yiddish and Ukrainian. Explore new ways for your voice to flow – free, inspiring, exciting.
DOWNLOAD WORKSHOP MATERIALS HERE: Ballads of Eastern Europe workshop
Concert:
A mixture of original, classical and folk songs mainly in Yiddish with a few visits to cultural neighbours. This multi-faceted weave of songs will present a few ballads, drinking songs and grandparents’ tales mixed with some sweet, dreamy folklore plus a few songs for the audience to join in. Workshop participants are invited to perform in this concert. This is a unique opportunity for individuals of all backgrounds to engage meaningfully with East European Jewish culture through music.
Polina Shepherd presents Ballads of Eastern Europe (Workshop & Concert) is part of En Masse’s 2025 Community and Arts Programme. This free-to-attend programme aims to enhance access to creative opportunities in Bristol, empower a diverse range of individuals to pursue creative careers, and nurture Bristol’s independent arts ecosystem by making it more connected and resilient.
Polina Shepherd is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist originally from Siberia. She grew up in Tatarstan singing at gatherings where she accompanied her whole Cossack / Jewish family and community from the age of seven. Her singing, based on traditional forms, cuts a sound deeply rooted in east European Jewish and Russian folklore. Growing up in Tatarstan also placed her close to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique East European vocal style.
Since 2021, Polina has served as the Artistic Director of the Caravan Orchestra and Choir, a cross-cultural initiative that brings together around 40 young musicians from Israel, Palestine and Germany to explore East European Jewish (Yiddish), East Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music traditions. Her multi-lingual and multi-cultural style explores themes of deep humanity & spirituality, and exemplifies how communal singing can preserve heritage, promote unity & build community.

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Bring us together. Concert, Workshop and Feast. Weston-super-Mare. UK
2025-10-11 15:00 - 22:00 UTC | Loves Cafe, 9 West Street, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, BS23 1JR, United Kingdom
Loves Cafe. Join us for the second of our BRING US TOGETHER Programme with Eastern European Folk Singer and Composer Polina Shepherd. Loves Cafes ‘Bring us Together’ series of music featuring artists from around the world and special menus from the ‘Global Kitchen Chefs’.
Tickets are Pay What you Feel, so please pay what suits your budget from £0.01 upwards.
Singing Workshop at 3 pm. BOOK workshop HERE.
An Evening of Song and Feasting from 7 pm Book concert here

DOWNLOAD WORKSHOP MATERIALS HERE: Bring Us Together. East European Songs with Polina Shepherd

Polina Shepherd is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist originally from Siberia, now living in Brighton UK. She grew up with singing at family gatherings where she accompanied her grandfather, a WWII veteran and her whole Cossack / Jewish family from the age of 7. Since moving to the UK in 2003 has been performing, teaching, composing and touring with various projects internationally.Her singing, though based on traditional forms, cuts a sound deeply rooted in east European Jewish and Russian folk. Growing up in Tatarstan also placed her close to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique vocal style.
Polina’s composition is focused on East European styles with an influence of classical music and folk elements.

“Polina’s composition is focused on East European styles with an influence of classical music and folk elements.”Cleveland Classical

“Bouncy village songs, light classical numbers and some fiery vocals make for an experience that is both worldly and rooted in Jewish tradition.”
Songlines

“Polina’s sweet, vigorous performance style perfectly reflects the dynamics and spirit of her mission—to inspire people to sing with others from the heart, to restore the culture they share across the world. “
Tela Zasloff, writer, A Rescuer’s Story

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Fail Better presents: Merlin & Polina Shepherd Duo / Aptère (France) / Jed Cutler. Brighton
2025-10-17 19:30 - 23:00 UTC | Alphabet, 11 Dyke Rd, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, BN1 3FE, United Kingdom
BOOK HERE

Time & Location

17 Oct 2025, 19:30 – 22:30
Brighton and Hove, 11 Dyke Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 3FE, UK

Crème de la crème of national and international musicianship on the 17th of October at exquisite A L P H A B E T. Please come and share with us what promises to be an unforgettable evening.
APTÈRE
Aptère is a duo unifying the cellist Lina Belaïd and accordionist Antoine Girard around a common passion for live and popular music, Jazz, Balkan or Musette, among others. The sounds of bowed strings and blown reeds blend and mingle on their musical playground. Sensitive compositions, adventurous improvisations, reveal rich texture ranges, melodic lyricism, haunting rhythms, oriental ornaments and bold harmonies.
JED CUTLER
Jed is an Anglo-American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and singer from Brighton and Hove, England. All-round expertise in a variety of musical styles and techniques, including Blues, Jazz, Rock, Slide, Fingerstyle and improvised music. Over 15 years’ gigging experience working with a wide variety of musicians and bands. With humble beginnings in the deep south, of England, Jed first picked up the guitar at age 11. He grew up in a household with eccentric parents and a healthy input of a variety of music, from Bach to Mississippi John Hurt. With a deep joy of playing all kinds of music he also carries on the flame of old time blues, jazz and gospel music in his solo performances. He also has a number of other projects. These are Django Chutney, a gypsy jazz trio who play the music of Django Reinhardt. The Jones Street Collective, a quintet of outwardly looking gentlemen playing their own take on blues, jazz and gospel. And Holiday on Saturn, a Jam Band inspired space blues quartet playing a mix of original material and covers from the Allman brothers band to Sun Ra.
https://jedcutler.com/home

MERLIN AND POLINA SHEPHERD
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo (clarinets, voice, piano) perform together in a way that is rarely encountered. They play music from several linked cultures with improvisation, freedom and spontaneity. The Duo’s playful approach to their root traditions – klezmer, Slavic, East European and southern Mediterranean – is full of knowledge and deference. It creates a unique sound that embraces the enduring spirit of folklore and takes the listener to new dimensions.
Merlin & Polina have been performing as a duo since 2004. Apart from their own concerts, they collaborate internationally with performers of various disciplines: a baroque orchestra, a punk band, contemporary dancers, DJs, and theatre productions.

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Dore Jacobs and the Cultures of Bodies. Essen, Germany.
2025-10-19 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | Alte Synagoge Essen, Edmund-Körner-Platz, Essen, 145127, Germany
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Register here (free)
Jiddische Lieder: Offenes Singen mit Polina Shepherd

In der Alten Synagoge erwartet Sie ein besonderer Nachmittag mit jiddischen Liedern und chassidischen “nigunim” – Melodien ohne Worte. Ein Singen mit und für uns alle – ohne Vorkenntnisse.
Polina Shepherds Chorarbeit umfasst viele Aspekte der Vokalmusik, von großen Chören bis hin zu kleineren Kammermusikgruppen, von sorgfältig arrangierten und dirigierten Stücken bis hin zu Chorimprovisationen.

Eintritt frei
Anschluss an das gemeinsame Singen eröffnet die Alte Synagoge Essen die Sonderausstellung “Essen in Bewegung. Dore Jacobs und die Kulturen der Körper” Alte Synagoge wird FrauenOrt NRW

Mit dem Projekt FrauenOrte NRW würdigt der FrauenRat NRW e.V. bis Ende 2025 an 52 Orten 57 Frauenpersönlichkeiten aus über 1000 Jahren und allen Ecken des (heutigen) Bundeslandes. Sie waren Pädagoginnen und Politikerinnen, Müllerinnen und Malerinnen, Widerstandskämpferinnen und Wissenschaftlerinnen, Kirchenfrauen und Kriegsreporterinnen. Infotafeln machen ihre (Frauen)Geschichte sichtbar und würdigen ihre Errungenschaften. Die Eröffnung des FrauenOrtes Alte Synagoge Essen findet am 19.10.2025 statt. Gewürdigt wird Dore Jacobs.
An open session of singing with Polina Shepherd.
oin an inspiring and uplifting Yiddish singing experience with an international cultural activist and professional educator Polina Shepherd (UK). Deep your toes into Ashkenazi vocal culture and enjoy singing in an easy going and welcoming atmosphere, learn new material and go home singing!
This session will introduce traditional wordless songs – Nigunim – and a few Yiddish folk songs. Some of them are rooted in spiritual and liturgical music, particularly the nign – a melody that is believed to bring a change of consciousness and bind communities together. Others describe the diverse lives of Jewish people across Eastern and Central Europe and all the countries they have emigrated to – their history, hopes, memories, celebrations and resistance. They tell people’s everyday stories and express every colour of human emotion.
Join us to make this connection in the most heart to heart way – making music together.
Free admission
Following the group singing, the Old Synagogue in Essen will open the special exhibition “Essen in Motion. Dore Jacobs and the Cultures of Bodies.”
With the Women’s Places NRW project, the Women’s Council NRW e.V. is honoring 57 women’s personalities from over 1,000 years and all corners of the (present-day) state at 52 locations until the end of 2025. They were educators and politicians, millers and painters, resistance fighters and scientists, churchwomen and war reporters. Information panels make their (women’s) history visible and honour their achievements. The opening of the Women’s Place Old Synagogue Essen will take place on October 19, 2025. Dore Jacobs’ Exhibition is part of this project.

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