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:

From the Steppes to the Shtetl: A Vocal Workshop in Berkeley, CA.
2025-02-03 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Grace Lutheran Church, 15 Santa Fe Avenue, El Cerrito, CA, 94530, United States
Broaden your singing horizons, and strengthen your voice by exploring Yiddish and Slavic folk song traditions .
BOOK HERE
Dive into an explosive mixture of songs from the Steppes and the Shtetl. And extra flavor with spices from a Tatar Bazaar, and wash them down with an Odessa fisherman’s tune: Yiddish folklore and popular songs, the powerful and the profound wordless songs – nigunim, traditional Slavic songs and Art songs in harmonies. Tune up your whole body and mind with your voice in full. Develop new ways for your voice to flow – free, inspiring, exciting. This workshop will also include a meditative sound bath, some fun folk rituals and simple circle dances. We will look into connecting with other cultures through singing, learn new repertoire and style and enjoy the depth and beauty of singing together. Open to all!
Polina’s teaching utilises a rich combination of her two blood cultures learnred at the source. She uses vocal experimentation with particular attention to the personal and emotional aspects of our musical creativity. Each group is different, so the songs we learn, the pace and the energy of the week will be very fluid and dependant on who we have. The workshop is very interactive and flexible. We can go into history and culture of the music and we can work with voices and bodies, the songs can be short and easy to learn or complex and challenging. Usually, there is a bit of everything!
Anyone can join and there will be benefits for professional singers, experienced choristers as well as for those who consider themselves home singers or have never sung in their lives. Willingness to explore is, however, essential.
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. She 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.
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.

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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:

Yiddish Song Workshop for all. Brighton, UK
2025-02-16 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | One Church, Florence Rd, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6DL, United Kingdom
Yiddish Song Workshop for all

Learn and continue the rich Yiddish culture and tradition. Find its relevance to today.
No knowledge of Yiddish or singing experience required.
Free, no registration required. Donations will be collected on the day for an independent project in Gaza building tent schools for children.
3-5pm. One Church. Florence Rd, BN1 6DL, Brighton.

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.

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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.

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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

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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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Glorious Kasha: Songs About Yiddish Delights. Brighton. UK
2025-06-29 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | The Rose Hill, 70-71 ROSEHILL TERRACE, BRIGHTON, East Sussex, BN1 4JJ, United Kingdom
BOOK HERE
This open to absolutely everyone workshop will be uplifting and fun, as well as educational and focused… on food. The word Kasha, like the dish itself, exists in several Slavic cultures, including Belarusian, Czech, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak and Ukrainian. Yiddish songs too are cross-cultural by nature. We may be singing a bit in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish, because these songs are part of Yiddish song canon. We will explore what food means to us, how much symbolism and emotion is stuffed into it, how much history is poured over is and how many cultures spice it up. Come sing about Ukrainian borsh, Romanian mamalyga, Polish latkes, Russian blintzes and of course wine or something stronger in song. Come share your recipes, if you know these foods and songs.
Polina Shepherd has no idea how to make Shepherd’s pie but, coming from Siberia and with origins in Kiev and Odesa, she has been cooking Yiddish and klezmer all over the globe for over 30 years.
No knowledge of Yiddish or singing experience is needed but make sure to have a big lunch before you come to sing!
15.00 – 17.00
Online tickets – £10 plus booking fee. On the door- £13.

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Pitchfolk weekend of singing, Somerset
2025-07-18 12:00 - 2025-07-20 15:00 UTC | Quaker Meeting House, 36 High Street Street, Street, Somerset, BA16 0EB, United Kingdom
Pitchfolk 2025 – A weekend of friendship, feasting and workshops of songs from around the world
BOOK HERE

READ FULL EVENT INFO HERE
For the fourth Pitchfolk weekend we’ll be learning Yiddish and Slavic songs, and special arrangements of Icelandic folk songs. As well as the singing workshops we’ll have, as always, storytelling, informal singing sessions, and our Saturday night feast, with performances from the floor.
This year we’ll be based at the Quaker Meeting house in Street, near Glastonbury, with camping on site, good public transport links, and all amenities close by.

This year we’ll be learning Yiddish and Slavic songs, with Polina Shepherd, leader of Slavic Voices choir, and special arrangements of Icelandic folk songs with renowned Icelandic folk singer, Bara Grimsdottir. As well as the singing workshops we’ll have, as always, storytelling, informal singing sessions, and our Saturday night feast, with performances from the floor.

The detailed programme for this year’s Pitchfolk weekend has now been finalised, have a look.

Friday
3.00 – 5.00pm optional activity with Sharon
5.30 – 7.00pm evening meal
7.00 – 8.30pm workshop with Marion Fleetwood
8.30pm onwards informal socialising and singing.

Saturday
9.30 – 11.00 workshop with Polina Shepherd
11.15 – 12.45 workshop with Bara Grimsdottir
12.45 – 2.45 lunch, and optional activity/storytelling with Sharon Jacksties
2.45 – 5.45 workshops with each leader, splitting in smaller groups
7.00 – 9.00pm tapas and floor spots at Mullions
9.00pm onwards informal socialising and singing

Sunday
10.30 – 12.30 recaps of main songs
12.30 -1.30 lunch
1.30 final sing through

‘Superb workshop leaders, variety of workshop content, effortless community building through singing together, potential for developing into a jewel of a festival, embodying the best of small and local.’
‘I enjoyed learning about different singing techniques. Great teachers. Great ambience.’
‘A joyous and uplifting weekend… I absolutely loved it!’
‘The joyousness of singing that music and dancing was wonderful.’
‘Singing, camping, fellowship.”
‘The small numbers made it intimate… I liked the eastern European songs especially.’
‘Totally superb weekend of singing…can’t wait for next year.’

Ticket prices
£165/130/95 weekend (workshops, lunch and evening meals, and feast on Saturday evening)£95/85/75 Saturday (workshops, lunch and evening feast)£70/60/50 Saturday daytime (workshops and lunch only)£17.50/15/12.50 individual workshop£25/20 Saturday evening feast (subject to availability)

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Caravan Orchestra and Choir. Germany.
2025-07-28 08:00 - 2025-08-13 17:00 UTC
Caravan Orchestra & Choir concerts

Thursday, August 14th, 2025: Germany, Yiddish Summer Weimar, Jugend- und Kulturzentrum mon ami, Goetheplatz 11, 99423 Weimar, 8 PM. Tickets: www.yiddishsummer.eu

Friday, August 15th, 2025 Germany, Eisenach, Wandelhalle, 8 PM
Saturday, August 16th, 2025 Germany, Zughafen Halle 6, Zum Güterbahnhof 20, 99085 Erfurt. Tickets: www.yiddishsummer.eu
Sunday, August 17h, 2025 Germany, Weimar, Marktplatz, evening (with many other bands): 25 Years Yiddish Summer Weimar celebration

28 July – 4 August. Rehearsals in Volksmusikakademie in Freyung, Bavaria
5 August – 17 August. Rehearsals in Weimar and concerts in Thuringia.
For the 8th time, Caravan Orchestra & Choir brings together young musicians from different traditions and backgrounds with the common goal of exploring East European Jewish,East Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern music traditions. Every year, we build a learning community that relies on curiosity, transcultural experience, and a general understanding of friendship and partnership. We invite you to become a member of this unique community. All instrumentalists and singers who live in Germany or Israel (regardless of your nationality) are invited to apply.
What to expect from your participation in Caravan? In the summer of 2025, we will continue to explore the connection between Yiddish (East European Jewish) music and musics that derive from the Ottoman heritage, including Arabic music, which will be taught by veteran members of Caravan. We have found a wonderful shared repertoire (including instrumental melodies, songs, and dances) between these traditions and will study their common heritage as well as their individual musical lives in different cultures in Europe, the Levant, and Asia Minor. We will learn a lot of music by ear, and improvisation will play a major role in our music making. The teaching faculty (see below) consists of renowned practitioners of Yiddish, Turkish, and Ottoman traditions with decades of teaching expertise in projects like Caravan.
The 2025 Caravan Orchestra and Choir will take place from July 28 in the morning to August 18 in the afternoon. We will spend the first week of our time together at the beautiful Volksmusikakademie in Freyung, Bavaria and the second part in Weimar during Yiddish Summer Weimar.
Apply by clicking HERE!
Application deadline is April 27th, 2025.

Volksmusikakademie Freyung

While we will sing in many languages, English will be the main language of communication.
We will ask a 100 EUR fee for participation in Caravan Orchestra & Choir. In return, we will cover your travels, tuition with great teachers, all of the food in Bavaria and most of it in Weimar, and we will – hopefully with your help – find accommodation for participants in Weimar. There is an age limit of 30 years, so your birthday should be after August 18th, 1995. However, if you are older than that, please apply anyway and we’ll try to make your participation possible somehow.
For participants living in Weimar: please get in touch if you can offer accommodation for fellow band members from Haifa or Germany. If so, we can waive the participation fee for you.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with the project manager, Anna Grünhardt
(anna.gruenhardt@othermusicacademy.eu).
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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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Golden Peacock - Yiddish Song week. London
2025-08-18 - 2025-08-22 | SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom
Please note the event is from 17 August but Polina is not there for the first 1,5 days.

Yiddish Song School is designed for everyone who wishes 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.
The Golden Peacock The Yiddish Song course is led by Shura Lipovsky, artistic director of Golden Peacock, singer and writer of new Yiddish songs with her esteemed colleagues Zalmen Mlotek and Polina Shepherd.

Full rate £260 (£230 if booked before 1st June 2025)
Student / Senior rate £190 (£175 if booked before 1st June 2025)
Senior rate is set at 65+
Refund policy:
10% deducted if cancelled before 1 June
25% deducted if cancelled before 1 July.
50% deducted if cancelled after 1 August.
Daily timings:
Sunday 17th August: 11am-6pm
Monday 18th August: 10am-7pm
Tuesday 19th August: 10am-7pm
Wednesday 20th August: 10am-7pm
Thursday 21st August: 10am-9pm
Friday 22nd August: 10am-5pm
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Klezfest London.
2025-08-20 08:00 - 2025-08-22 17:00 UTC | SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom
Come learn, play, share klezmer music in a three-day programme by the JMI. The programme includes Klezmer Orchestra, Yiddish Dance with Sayumi Yoshida, Nigunim and Repertoire Sessions, Evening Jams and Socials and a session with the Yiddish Choir led by Zalmen Mlotek and Polina Shepherd.
Read more here.
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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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