Hasidic Music
Aug 17 - 21
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. & 3 – 6 p.m.

with Alan Bern, Craig Judelman and special guest Avinoam Stillman

The hasidic movement started in the 18th century and by the 19th century had spread through Yiddishland, profoundly impacting spiritual, theological and social aspects of life for millions of Jews in Eastern Europe.
Song and dance were essential parts of hasidic life, seen as particularly powerful tools for elevating the soul, entering a spiritual state and expressing devotion, longing, joy and grief. In this workshop we’ll explore both the contents and contexts of this music and how this unique conception of music can provide inspiration for us in our own music making, regardless of spiritual or religious practice.

Since millions of Jews in early 20th c. Eastern Europe were hasidic, it is no surprise that the An-Ski ethnographic expedictions to Ukrainian and Belarusian towns and villages in the 1910s collected much hasidic music, along with non-hasidic materials. These recordings and transcriptions survived WWII and eventually formed an archive kept by the Vernadsky National Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv. Thanks to the inspired work of this year’s special guests to YSW, Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript Project (KMDMP), we have the very special opportunity in this workshop to hear and sing these beautiful hasidic nigunim in our own day.

Led by Alan Bern and Craig Judelman, we also welcome guest teacher Avinoam Stillman, a scholar of Hasidism who has also participated in contemporary Hasidic life, to help us better understand the historical context and spiritual culture of Hasidism and Hasidic music. For both vocalists and instrumentalists who are ready to open themselves to a wide range of feelings through Jewish music, from deeply contemplative to ecstatic.

Workshop fee: 345 € Standard / 270 € Reduced / 470 € Sponsor / 145 € under 18 / 50 € Affected by the Corona pandemic
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about