David Kaufmann
Sasha Lurje
From the heart of Riga in Latvia to the cultural diversity of Berlin, Sasha Lurje has made a name for herself as one of the world’s leading Yiddish singers. She dives deep into traditional Yiddish styles, breathing new life into old melodies while leading contemporary projects.
Their collaborations range from the renowned Fortunoff Archive at Yale University with “Songs from Testimonies” to intercultural projects with the Helsinki Yiddish Cabaret, which sheds light on the life of the little-known Nordic Jewish community, to theater performances such as Michael Wex’s “Last Night in Cabaret Yitesh” and Josh Waletzky’s “Pleytem Tsuzamen”.
As an active pillar of the Berlin klezmer scene, Sasha not only sings; she creates experiences, be it at festivals such as Yiddish Summer Weimar, where she regularly performs, or at Shtetl Berlin and the Seattle Yiddish Fest – festivals that she organizes herself.
© Daniel Shakir
Roman Grinberg
Roman Grinberg is considered one of the most versatile and distinguished Jewish artists in the world and has shaped the Jewish music scene in Vienna like no other for 30 years. Whether it is an intimate klezmer concert or an international festival stage, as a soloist, with his own band, as a choir and orchestra director – Roman Grinberg has found his professional mission in the preservation, cultivation and dissemination of Jewish music.
In the tradition of Jewish musicians and poets, he sees himself not only as a “preserver”, but also constantly explores new artistic paths and transports the music of his ancestors with ease into the present day. In doing so, he remains true to the roots of this ancient culture and is therefore always authentic. His great love is for the old Yiddish songs from the shtetl, which he reinterprets in his own arrangements with great humor and sensitivity.
Shvayg Mayn Harts Orchestra
The Shvayg Mayn Harts Orchestra was founded in 2021 as part of the project “1,700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany”. The orchestra’s concept is to present their songs in Broadway-style arrangements to represent them in the style in which they were originally performed, rather than as klezmer music. Since its inception, the Shvayg Mayn Harts Orchestra has given concerts in Cologne, Recklinghausen, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Leipzig, Berlin, Münster, Vienna and Brussels. Future concerts in France and Switzerland are currently being planned. The name of the orchestra comes from one of the famous songs written by Herman Yablokoff.
Matthias Baus
Michael Alexander Willens
Michael Alexander Willens is Music Director of the Kölner Akademie, a chamber orchestra and choir based in Cologne.
He studied conducting with John Nelson at the Juilliard School in New York, where he earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree. He also studied with Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood and choral conducting with Paul Vorwerk.
Willens’ extensive experience has given him an exceptionally deep background and familiarity with performance styles ranging from baroque, classical and romantic to contemporary, jazz and pop.
Willens has conducted concerts in major concert halls and at festivals in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Scandinavia, Russia, Iceland, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Israel, receiving the highest critical acclaim. In addition to the Cologne Academy, he has been a guest conductor with orchestras in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Brazil, Canada, Israel and the Jeune Orchestre Atlantique in Saintes.
