Polina Shepherd

Brighton & Hove Choirs resume weekly sessions
2020-01-07 11:30 - 21:00 UTC | England
Brighton & Hove Choirs resume weekly sessions
Related Images:

BBC World Service broadcast. The Forum. YIDDISH: A STORY OF SURVIVAL
2020-01-02 09:00 - 2020-01-04 10:00 UTC | England
BBC World Service. The Forum. YIDDISH: A STORY OF SURVIVAL
At its height, Yiddish, the language of the European Jews, was spoken by more than ten million people, from Russia in the east to the Netherlands in the West. But by the mid -20th century, these numbers were severely depleted following the Holocaust, and then the creation of the modern-day state of Israel where the speaking of Yiddish was discouraged.
So what does the future hold for this endangered culture with its great tradition of writers and thinkers? Joining Rajan Datar are Aaron Lansky, the director of the Yiddish book centre in the US, who helped save more than a million Yiddish books from destruction; the Jewish-Russian composer and singer Polina Skovoroda Shepherd who writes new songs that still remain within the Yiddish tradition, and Dr Lily Kahn from the Hebrew and Jewish studies department at University College, London, who’s also the author of “Colloquial Yiddish”.
Broadcasts

Thu 2 Jan 202009:06Local time
BBC WORLD SERVICE

Fri 3 Jan 202000:06Local time
BBC WORLD SERVICE

Sat 4 Jan 202014:06Local time
BBC WORLD SERVICE NEWS INTERNET

In the UK, the first broadcast will be on Thursday 2nd January at 9’06”, midnight on Friday 3rd January and Sunday 5th January at 15’06”.
Please go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/faqs/world_service_howtolisten for times and how to listen.
Related Images:

Workshop & concert in Montreal, Canada
2019-12-17 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | England
Dear friends! Join us for a vocal/instrumental workshop followed by a performance of the star of new klezmer straight from London, in Montreal for one gig only!
TICKETS HERE
19:00-20:00 (TBC) at La Vitrola, 4602 St. Laurent, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1R3
Always stunning in her musicianship, always surprisingly and refreshingly new, this time Polina will lead a vocal yiddish song workshop (instruments are invited to join and accompany), which will be followed by a performance of her new neo-klezmer material. Bring your voice and your instrument and join one of the world’s leading klezmer performers as she blends tradition and innovation in the most unique way. Participants in the workshop will have the opportunity to be part and parcel of the main-stage performance!
Polina works as an educator, leading choral workshops internationally. Her specially developed choral teaching methods are based on East European sound, ornamentation, modal
experimentation with attention to stylistic detail, history and context. For Jewish music-based choral workshops, she teaches Hassidic nigunim and Yiddish songs.
Free workshop followed by a concert (cover).

Vocal Workshop (instruments invited)

Free workshop followed by a concert (cover).
7:00 – 8:00 pm – Workshop
8:00 – 8:20 pm – Break
8:20 – 9:30 pm – Concert

Related Images:

Glasses of Fine, solo concert in Chicago
2019-12-15 19:30 - 21:30 UTC | England
Highland Park, Illinois,
GLASSES OF WINE

Polina Shepherd (Russia /UK) is bringing a pre-CHANUKAH celebration to Chicago’s audience: a mixture of original, classical, and folk songs mainly in Yiddish and Russian, including a few world premieres.
Chicago has seen her in 210 Live at last year’s sold out Russian-Yiddish Folk Cabaret with Psoy Korolenko, The Stranniki.
Polina grew up in a Russian Jewish home where songs were frequently sung at celebrations. When living in Tatarstan and studying at the State Academy, she played Russia′s first klezmer band after Perestroika, and toured the world with her own quartet. Now an internationally renowned singer, she brings the songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl up to date with passion and haunting soul. She has toured with her solo show Songs of the Steppes & the Shtetl in Russia, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and Brazil.
$25 on the door
Drinks and snacks are welcomed
This is a private house concert.
Related Images:

Glasses of Wine. A pre-Chanuka solo concert in Columbus, USA
2019-12-14 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | England
Columbus, USA
Glasses of Wine – a pre-Chanuka solo concert. More details TBA in the next newsletter and on my Facebook page.
Polina Shepherd (Russia /UK) is bringing a pre-CHANUKAH celebration to Columbus: a mixture of original, classical, and folk songs mainly in Yiddish and Russian, including a few world premieres.
Columbus has seen her in 2016 at Brothers Drake Meadery in a Russian-Yiddish Folk Cabaret with Psoy Korolenko, The Stranniki. Tihs time she is coming unaccompanied… well, accompanying herself on piano. This new, multi-lingual, multi-cultural, and multi-faceted weave of songs will take you on a deep emotional journey.
Attention: the concert is interactive and you may find yourself singing and clapping along!
Polina grew up in a Russian Jewish home where songs were frequently sung at celebrations. When living in Tatarstan and studying at the State Academy, she played Russia′s first klezmer band after Perestroika, and toured the world with her own quartet. Now an internationally renowned singer, she brings the songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl up to date with passion and haunting soul. She has toured with her solo show Songs of the Steppes & the Shtetl in Russia, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and Brazil. Read more: www.polinashepherd.co.uk
Related Images:

Lorin Sklamberg & Polina Shepherd in New York
2019-12-12 20:30 - 22:30 (America/New_York) | England
Lorin Sklamberg & Polina Shepherd
for New York Klezmer Series. Event details here
photo by Adam Berry
Klezmer Instrumental Music Workshop 6:30pm-8:00 $25 per class,
Concerts & Dance Parties begin at 8:30pm – $15
Jam Session follows Concert 9:45-10:45ish
Full night pass – $35 (includes Workshop, Concert & Jam Session)
All events will take place at The Town & Village Synagogue, Social Hall, 334 East 14th St.(between 1st & 2nd Ave.)
Related Images:

Reykjavik Christmas concerts
2019-12-08 16:00 - 22:00 UTC | England
Two concerts Sunday 8th December at 4pm and 8pm, in Langholtskirkja Church, Reykjavík.
Fb event here
Tickets here
Festivals of Light – Celebration songs from the East.
Come and celebrate with us! Hear an explosive mixture of powerful dance rhythms and profound melodies of the Steppes and the Shtetl spiced up by Turkish Bazaars and washed down with a coachman’s song from Siberia…
The programme will feature music from East European cultures: Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian and Yiddish / klezmer. They are all connected by geography and also by deep emotionality and distinct musical features and – here is the best part – these cultures are full of Joy and Celebration.
The programme will feature classics and folklore: ritual calendar and Christmas songs, love songs and songs of Celebration, table songs and dance songs, Russian Art songs from the 18-19th centuries, Yiddish songs for Chanukka (The Festival of Light) and klezmer music (East European Jewish wedding music).
According to Söngfjelagið’s custom, the choir will also premiere an Icelandic Christmas song composed especially for the occasion. This year it was composed by choir member Hjörleifur Hjartarson who is also the other half of Icelandic duo Hundur í óskilum.
Price of the ticket: 4,500 ISK
Tickets are available on Tix.is
We hope to see you there!
Performers
Söngfjelagið
Hilmar Örn Agnarsson, director
Polina Shepherd, voice and piano
Merlin Shepherd, clarinet
Igor Outkine, voice, accordion and balalaika
Sarah Harrison, violin and other strings
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, mandolin and other strings
Iveta Licha, harmonium
Related Images:

Inter–cultural Winter Warmer evening - Lewes
2019-12-01 18:00 - 20:30 UTC | England
All Saints Centre, Friars Walk, Lewes, BN7 2LE
Sunday 1 December 6pm – 8pm
Come and celebrate cultural diversity! Enjoy an eclectic mixture of styles and genres at a one-off concert from Brighton & Hove and London based international communities.
We have an astonishing programme to keep you warm for the rest of winter. Two choirs from Brighton & Hove and two from London will come together to sing Russian and Yiddish songs, while a new Sussex based Dervish Sufi music ensemble as well as Jamal & Alaa will perform traditional Syrian folk music.
part from the concert programme, we are planning a little bazaar: stalls from the community with arts & crafts, tea & cake and other goods.
The theme for the evening is Collaboration, Co-creation and Unity. We celebrate the beauty of our cultures and the joy of sharing with each other. And we invite you all to join us in spreading the light…
A bar will be available at the event.
Tickets cost: £10 / £7 concessions, watch this space for the link.
More about Jamal & Alaa here.
More about the Brighton & Hove and London Russian and Yiddish choirs.
Get excited and book soon!
The event is jointly organised between Best Foot Music and The Polina Shepherd Vocal Experience
Facebook event here
Book tickets here
Related Images:

Workshop and concert in Osnabrück, Germany
2019-11-22 - 2019-11-23 | England
Merlin and Polina Shepherd – Open workshop and concert in Osnabrück, Germany
Klezmer-Konzert im Felix-Nussbaum-Haus Osnabrück
Merlin & Polina Shepherd +workshop band.

Workshop schedule:

Friday 10-13.00 and 15-18.00

Saturday 10-13.00 and 15-17.00

Final rehearsal 17.30-19.00

The WORKSHOP IS FREE but you need to register Frau Rocho Tel:0541 323-4149 or via email rocho.s@osnabrueck.de

Klezmer Projekt-Orchester der Musik- und Kunstschule (Ltg. Pierre-Yves Locher) und Jiddisches Lied: Workshops mit Polina & Merlin Shepherd (Brighton/UK) & Abschlusskonzert der Teilnehmer
22./23.11.2019, Workshops
23.11.2019, 20h, Abschlusskonzert, Felix-Nussbaum-Haus
Das Museumsquartier Osnabrück und die Musik- und Kunstschule der Stadt Osnabrück laden zu Klezmer-Workshops für Sängerinnen und Sänger sowie Instrumentalistinnen und Instrumenatalisten am 22. und 23. November ein. Die Teilnehmer lernen von Profis, wie jiddische Musik gesungen und gespielt wird.Der Chorworkshop wird von Polina Shepherd, der Instrumentalworkshop von Merlin Shepherd geleitet. Im Verlauf des Workshops erproben die Teilnehmer im gesamten Ensemble Klezmerstücke für ein Abschlusskonzert. Das Klezmer-Projektorchester, das auch nach den offenen Workshops weiterhin bestehen bleibt, wird von Pierre-Yves Locher geleitet.
Das Museumsquartier Osnabrück lädt zu einer jiddischen Konzertreihe im Felix-Nussbaum-Haus ein. Jiddische Lieder zeigen sich als Ausprägung einer Kultur, die über Jahrhunderte ein bedeutender Teil des europäischen Lebens war und im „Dritten Reich“ nahezu vollständig ausgelöscht wurde.
Anmeldungen für die kostenlosen Workshops werden unter der Telefonnummer 0541 323-4149 oder E-Mail rocho.s@osnabrueck.de bei der Musik- und Kunstschule der Stadt Osnabrück entgegengenommen.
Unterstützt wird die Reihe durch die Felicitas und Werner Egerland Stiftung. Sie ist eine Kooperation des Museumsquartier Osnabrück und der Musik- und Kunstschule Osnabrück.
More information here

Related Images:

Sheffield, Merlin & Polina Shepherd concert
2019-11-10 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | England
10 November – Sheffield, UK. TBC
Merlin and Polina Shepherd in concert, watch this space for updates.
about

Related Images:

The Sound & Light Cinemtaic Duo in Brussels
2019-11-09 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | England
The Sound & Light Сinematic Duo
New and traditional live music accompanying B&W silent films from Ukraine and Russia, 1910-1927.
More info coming soon.
The Yuri Morozov film collection (Kiev) contains some of the earliest cinematic representations of east European Jewish communities and more. Black and White silent films as early as 1910 depict the Jews of Ukraine and their daily lives in both narrative and documentary forms. The films cover many aspects of Jewish interest, from Biblical times to modern life at the beginning of the Soviet Era. Many of these films have never been seen outside of Ukraine and some have not been screened for over 80 years.
Merlin and Polina Shepherd represent two nations although their families come from very close geographical locations. At the end of the 19th Century, Merlin’s great-grandparents emigrated from Ukraine and Romania to escape pogroms and seek a better world in the west. Polina’s grandparents escaped from the Sho’ah (Holocaust) by fleeing from Kiev/Odessa to Siberia. The different and yet vital sustenance of his western Jewish upbringing and her eastern one have brought them to a unique closeness in musical, creative and spiritual terms.
Performing as Jewish musicians would have done in the early days of cinema, Merlin and Polina Shepherd play Jewish music to accompany these silent films. Their playing acts as the perfect foil for these amazing historic documents. With their deep training, musical experience and by using tradition musical pieces and stylistically accurate new compositions, these films are magically brought back to life almost a century after their first screenings.
By transportation backwards in time with this historically accurate visual and aural experience, these two world-class musicians bring their audiences forward to a deeper understanding of former and present day Yiddishkeit.

Related Images:

SUPER KLEZMATICS in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Kleztival 2019
2019-10-29 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | England
Under the theme the Klezmer in the World, the Institute of Jewish Music Brazil brings together their Tenth International Jewish music festival – #kleztival.

The Fusion of the various global spectrum sonorities brings to the stage a new sound in Jewish music, incorporating to the traditional sounds of klezmer, electronic beats, rhythms and themes and a bit of Brazilianness. In this programme, The Klezmatics will be joined by Joshua Nelson, American Gospel singer; Polina Shepherd, Russian pianist, singer and songwriter based in Brighton UK; Nicole Borger, Brazilian singer and songwriter; SIMJA DUJOV , Argentine DJ and singer and Merlin Shepherd, UK leading Klezmer clarinet.

Sob o tema O Klezmer no Mundo, o Instituto da Música Judaica Brasil realiza em 2019, seu décimo Festival Internacional de Música Judaica – Kleztival, mostra não competitiva destinada a preservar e promover a cultura judaica através da música e divulgar o trabalho de artistas, nacionais e estrangeiros , que se dedicam a esse gênero musical.
Como parte dessa comemoração e dos objetivos que a norteiam, o IMJ Brasil faz tambem o lançamento do album triplo Kleztival 10 anos, uma coletânea de 50 canções e temas instrumentais de diversos artistas e bandas dos mais variados países do globo, que se apresentaram no palco do Kleztival, ao longo desses dez anos.
Super Klezmatics
A fusão das diversas sonoridades de espectro global traz para o palco uma nova sonoridade na música judaica, incorporando aos sons tradicionais do klezmer, as batidas eletrônicas, ritmos e temas africanos e um pouco de brasilidade. Neste trabalho, juntaram-se ao grupo base Klezmatics: Joshua Nelson, cantor Gospel americano; Polina Shepard, pianista, cantora e compositora russa radicada em Londres; Nicole Borger, cantora e compositora brasileira; Simja Dujov, DJ e cantor argentino; Zilien Biret, clarinetista de Madagascar, residente e Montreal, e Benjamin Lapidus, guitarrista e cantor cubano, radicado em NY.
Related Images:

Kleztival, São Paulo TBC
2019-10-26 08:00 - 2019-11-03 17:00 UTC | England
26 October – 3 November – São Paulo, Brazil.
Kleztival concerts and workshops.
10th Anniversary Kleztival in Sao Paulo: concerts, workshops, collaborations. The Klezmatics, Joshua Nelson, Polina Shepherd, Merlin Shepherd, Jinta la-Mvta and many others.
Facebook event page here.
Look for updates here.
Related Images:

Polina Shepherd with Söngfjelagið choir - Reykjavik
2019-10-18 - 2019-10-19 | England
For the third time Polina will be working with a Reykjavik choir Söngfjelagið , a weekend workshop to prepare for a Christmas concert in December. Watch this space for more.
Related Images:

Day workshop in Lustleigh, Devon, UK
2019-09-07 10:30 - 16:30 UTC | England
Lusleigh Village Hall
10 am – 4pm
Russian Song workshop: with Polina Shepherd from 10am–4pm in Lustleigh Village Hall.
Music lovers of all backgrounds and singing levels are invited, no experience necessary. Teaching by ear and with sheet music.
Russian folk songs embrace the whole of the landscape and all of Mother Earth. This wide geographical span is present throughout the whole culture and gives folk song an extremely broad musical and emotional depth. Large musical intervals in lyrical songs call to mind the vastness of Russian topography stretching toward a boundless horizon. In eastern folklore, every snowflake and every blade of grass embodies the spirits of nature – and this connection is felt within each folk song for ritual pagan holidays, exorcism and sibylline song, circle dance, laments, wedding and lyrical songs…
The workshop repertoire will also include Russian Romances (Art songs) from the 19 Century and some contemporary material.
Born in Siberia, Polina started her performer’s and educator’s career in Kazan, Tatarstan (Central Russia). Now a highly experienced musician, she has taught for Glyndebourne Education and the Natural Voice Practitioners Network in the UK and internationally at seminars in Moscow, St Petersburg, Paris, Kiev, Sao Paolo, Basel and many more.
Cost: £30 (£25 if booked before 15 August).
Please bring lunch to share.
Advance booking preferable; some tickets may be available on the door.
To book, or for further information, contact Stephen Terry on 01647 277197 or email stephenjaterry@hotmail.com
Related Images:

The London Russian and Yiddish choirs resume weekly sessions
2019-09-05 18:00 - 21:30 UTC | England
5 September, London, UK
The London Russian and Yiddish choirs start weekly sessions. More information coming in August here.
Related Images:

The Brighton & Hove Russian and Yiddish choirs resume weekly sessions
2019-09-03 11:30 - 21:00 UTC | England
3 September, Brighton, UK
The Brighton & Hove Russian and Yiddish choirs start weekly sessions. More information coming in August here.
Related Images:

Golden Peacock Concert, London
2019-08-18 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom
Yiddish Song Concert: international stars of Yiddish live in concert in London: Come and see three international stars of Yiddish Song live in concert in Central London on Sunday 18th August.
The first day of the JMI Summer Schools and Festival of Music begins with a concert showcasing the wealth in vocal diversity of Yiddish Culture with an international cast of singers and instrumentalists.
The concert will feature: Shura Lipovsky, Lorin Sklamberg, Polina Shepherd and Joseph Finlay
We are inviting the public to sample the Golden Peacock summer school experience with an opening concert by our international faculty, including special guest musicians. There will be recitals of classic and modern Yiddish repertoire as well as instrumental and this will be a unique opportunity to meet the faculty and to experience first hand the quality of Yiddish song that is taught every year at The Golden Peacock.

Related Images:

Yiddish Song School, London, UK
2019-08-18 - 2019-08-23 | SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom
Yiddish Song School, Jewish Music Institute, London.
Learn to sing Yiddish song at Golden Peacock Yiddish Song School in the heart of London at SOAS this Summer 2019.
The Golden Peacock The Yiddish Song course led by internationally acclaimed Yiddish singer and teacher Shura Lipovsky with esteemed colleagues from around the world. It is designed for all singers who wish to deepen their knowledge of the rich Yiddish song repertoire.
You will spend the morning studying music theory, repertoire, roots and traditions of Yiddish Song, modes and melodies. While afternoons will focus on studying further repertoire, master-classes and a Yiddish Choir. You will be amazed at how much you will be learning, singing and performing Yiddish song in only one week!
Here are a few reasons why this promises to be a week not to be missed this summer…

This is the only opportunity in the UK to immerse yourself in the deep and inspiring world of Yiddish Song for a whole week with interesting and like-minded people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
You will have the privilege of working with some of the UK’s, USA’s and Europe’s top educators and performers. No matter what your level in Yiddish whether a beginner or a budding linguist, professional singer or amateur enthusiast, you will benefit from the width and breath of programmes on offer through the week, both day and night.
The programme is based at SOAS, the heart of Ethnomusicology and the study of world cultures in the UK, at the Russell Square Campus in central London. What better chance to combine meeting an eclectic bunch of Yiddish enthusiasts with exploring one of Europe’s finest capital cities.
Any questions? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the JMI team for extra information about the course, accommodation advice or financial support.

Faculty
Shura Lipovsky

A writer and composer of new Yiddish songs, she appears as a singer and storyteller in Europe, Scandinavia, Israel, Russia, the United States and Canada.

Lorin Sklamberg – (USA)
Lorin Sklamberg is a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning Yiddish-American roots band the Klezmatics.

Polina Shepherd – (Russia/UK)
She is one of the first generation of musicians of the Yiddish revival scene in Eastern Europe: acting as a programme director, educator and performer she has been involved in festivals, conferences and seminars globally.

Joseph Finlay (UK)
Joseph Finlay is a composer, musical director and pianist, trained at Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music.

FEES:
Full rate £250 (£225 if booked before 1st June 2019)
Student / Senior rate £175 (£150 if booked before 1st June 2019)
Senior rate is set at 65+

Related Images:

Yiddish Choir Workshop in Weimar, Germany
2019-08-15 - 2019-08-17 | England
The YSW Yiddish choir workshop offers a unique opportunity to experience a fascinating repertoire in an inspiring atmosphere. For several years now, the course has been focusing on specific aspects of Yiddish singing, including language, musical style, history and cultural context. How can a Yiddish song arrangement be different from other Jewish choral music? How traditional or modern can a Yiddish choir be?
Picking up on this year’s YSW theme “The Weimar Republic of Yiddishland” from a choral perspective, we will explore early 20th-century choral repertoire as well as material arranged and composed exclusively for YSW 2019, in addition to the usual rich spread of East European Jewish choral music – traditional four-voice scores, nigunim warm ups, simple fun songs learned by ear, and improvised material.
Enjoy singing in a warm-hearted atmosphere under the guidance of one of the world’s most charismatic and inspiring choir directors. Polina’s teaching methods are based on and experiment with East European sound, ornamentation and modalities, with attention to stylistic detail, history and context. All singers are welcome, although you will need to be able to follow the written music and be prepared to learn by ear.
If you have questions about the program or would like to know whether this workshop is right for you, please contact Polina Shepherd at www.polinashepherd.co.uk/contact.
Workshop fee: 120 € Standard / 90 € Reduced / 150 € Sponsor / 60€ under 18.
Workshop times: 10am – 1pm, 3-6pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday plus an evening showcase/presentation on Saturday.
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees go to Yiddish Summer Weimar web site.
Follow this link
Related Images:

Shaydveg -Crossroads concert, Weimar, Germany
2019-08-02 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | England
August 2 Fri 8 p.m. @mon ami
Shaydveg (Crossroads) Weimar
Crossing the frontier into Yiddish modernism then and now
Other Music Academy, Ernst-Kohl-Straße 23, 99423 Weimar, Germany
An evening of new songs composed and performed by three of today’s most important Yiddish songwriters – Daniel Kahn, Polina Shepherd and Efim Chorny – based on gems of Yiddish poetry from the period between WWI and WWII.
With Suzanna Ghergus, Aleksei Rozov, Jake Shulman-Ment, Merlin Shepherd and others.
Related Images:

Pleytem tsuzamen (Refugees Together) - Weimar, Germany
2019-07-31 20:30 - 22:00 UTC | England
A new Joshua Waletzky Song Cycle. Concert.
A new, full-length song cycle by NYC composer and filmmaker Joshua Waletzky, using traditional Yiddish genres—anthem, ballad, lullaby, love song, drinking song and nign—with new music and texts that explore the dangerous, challenging era in world history in which we are now living in.
Sung by Sveta Kundish, Dan Kahn, Polina Shepherd, Efim Chorny, Sasha Lurje and Waletzky himself, with instrumental accompaniment by Merlin Shepherd, Beth Silver, Jake Shulman-Ment, Deborah Strauss, Ilya Shneyveys and others. More info here.
Related Images:

Yiddish Summer Weimar concerts
2019-07-29 - 2019-08-03 | England
Polina will be taking part in Yiddish Summer Weimar Festival Week as a performer and composer presenting her specially commissioned by YSW compositions for Yiddish poems from 1920-1930.
In 2019 we recognize the 100th anniversary of the beginnings of the Weimar Republic. To celebrate the almost unimaginable outpouring of creative energy throughout Europe in that era, our special topic next year will be “The Weimar Republic of Yiddishland” – an encounter between the Weimar Republic and the politically virtual but culturally very real Republic of Yiddishland.
Thanks to a generous grant from the German Federal Cultural Foundation, we will draw on this extraordinarily creative phase in Yiddish cultural history to create an impressive array of brand-new projects with a superb roster of international artists.
31 July – Weimar, Germany
Pleytim tsuzamen (Refugees Together) – A new Joshua Waletzky Song Cycle. Concert. Sveta Kundish, Dan Kahn, Polina Shepherd, Efim Chorny, Sasha Lurje, and Waletzky himself, with instrumental accompaniment by Jake Shulman-Ment, Deborah Strauss, Ilya Shneyveys, Aleksey Rozov and others. More info here.
AUGUST
2 August – Weimar, Germany
Shaydveg (Crossroads). Crossing the frontier into Yiddish modernism then and now Crossing the frontier into Yiddish modernism then and now. An evening of new songs composed and performed by three of today’s most important Yiddish songwriters – Daniel Kahn, Polina Shepherd and Efim Chorny. Other Music Academy, Ernst-Kohl-Straße 23. More info
3 August – Erfurt, Germany
Shaydveg (Crossroads) performance in Erfurt. Naye Lider – An Evening of New Yiddish Song.8 p.m. @Rathausfestsaal. More information here.
Related Images:

Songs for the Soul in Spain
2019-07-20 - 2019-07-27 | England
Songs for the soul. A singing week in a holiday center in the Andalusian mountains. More info TBA soon here.
Related Images:

Four choirs concert in Brighton
2019-07-05 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | St. Luke’s Church, Queens Park Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 9ZB, United Kingdom
Four choirs present Songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl, concert at St. Luke’s Church, Queen’s Park, Brighton BN2 9ZB. 7.30pm.
Part of St. Luke’s Music & Wine Concert Series. More info coming soon. The Brighton & Hove Russian and Yiddish choirs joined by the London Yiddish and Russian choirs perform together.
Related Images:

Russian Harmonies workshop, SOAS London
2019-06-29 11:00 - 17:00 UTC | England
Songs of the Steppes and the Cities:
Course Fee: £45 (Concessions £35) (course will run with a minimum of 15 participants)

Russian songs embrace the whole of the landscape and all of Mother Earth. Lyrical songs call to mind the vastness of Russian topography stretching toward a boundless horizon. Every snowflake and every blade of grass embodies the spirits of nature – and this connection is felt within each song for rituals, holidays, circle dances, laments, weddings, the Russian Art song (The Romance) and lyrical songs… Come and experience Russian harmonies through song. Music lovers of all backgrounds and singing levels are invited, no experience necessary. Learning by ear. With Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd

Related Images:

Merlin and Polina Shepherd in Stockholm
2019-06-28 17:00 - 18:00 UTC | England
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo in concert, Stockholm Folk Festival. 5pm. More info coming soon.

Related Images:

JetЛАГ Festival, Downsville, NY, USA
2019-06-22 - 2019-06-23 | England
The Stranniki at JetLag Festival , Downsville, NY, USA
JETLAG IS THE LARGEST FESTIVAL OF RUSSIAN, SLAVIC, BALKAN, AND OTHER EAST EUROPEAN MUSICS IN THE USA.

Psoy Korolenko & Polina Shepherd with The Stranniki, Yiddish-Russian folk-cabaret and MANY other fantastic performers in June.
The Russian Allen Ginsberg and the Jewish Robert Plant united in a folk-cabaret The Stranniki (The Wanderers), fusing folklore and chamber song, Yiddish and Russian, classic and avant-garde, academia and circus. POLINA SHEPHERD (UK, formerly Kazan, Russia), singer, composer, choir leader and pianist, Notably, she is a descendant of a legendary wandering philosopher Grigory Skovoroda, whose wisdom spiritually “rhymes” a lot with Polina’s creative experience. She is first time at JetLAG, joining PSOY KOROLENKO), whose custom has always been to bring only something fresh and exclusive to JetLAG stage. “Welcome the ‘wAnderful” duo at Saturday night concert at SPELL-ART stage!
From the big names to new discoveries, at JetLAG you’ll hear everything from avant garde rock to Balkan wave and Klezmer; from psychedelic trance to Russian folk and sung poetry; reggae, rap, cabaret, experimental math rock, and if that’s not enough, we promise, it’ll get weirder.
Polina’s JetLag Lineup page

Related Images:

Boston solo concert: My Goat is on the Roof!
2019-06-19 19:30 - 21:30 UTC | England
My Goat Is On the Roof ~ A new programme by Polina Shepherd

My Goat is on the Roof is about beauty in the heart surrounded by madness in the world, a mixture of original, classical, and folk songs mainly in Yiddish and Russian, including a few world premieres.
This new, multi-lingual, multi-cultural, and multi-faceted weave of songs will take you on a deep emotional journey. Attention: the concert is interactive and you may find yourself singing and clapping along!
Sponsored by the Yiddish Committee of Boston Workmens Circle; don’t miss this opportunity to experience Polina’s music in the intimate setting of Third Life Studio! Due to the intimate size of the space, advance tickets are encouraged. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door (cash only).
Related Images:

Merlin & Polina Shepherd - Brighton, UK
2019-06-07 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | St. Luke’s Church, Queens Park Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 9ZB, United Kingdom
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo in concert at St. Luke’s Church.
‘Polina and Merlin Shepherd – the Led Zeppelin of contemporary Yiddish music.’ – Seth Rogovoy, author, “The Essential Klezmer”
Сlarinetist, composer Merlin Shepherd, a uniquely innovative force in the klezmer renaissance, and Polina Shepherd, a virtuosic vocalist, pianist, composer originally from Siberia blend traditional and newly composed Yiddish and Russian song with klezmer and southern Mediterranean music. Full of passion, depth & subtlety not often encountered in our global village, their style which has its roots in traditional forms takes us to new dimensions.
about

Related Images:
