Mark Kovnatskiy (Russia/Germany; violin)

is despite his young age  an already much-travelled and respected violonist. He is also a highly estimed Yiddish composer and dance specialist.
He has performed and taught at the Ashkenaz Festival Toronto (CAN), KlezKanada Montreal (CAN), KlezFest London, Kiev and Saint-Petersburg (UK, UA, RUS), Festival of Jewish Culture Kraków (PL), Musica Viva Veruela (ES), Folk Festival Ottawa (CAN), Nine Gates Praha (CZ), Sheshory Festival (UA), YiddishFest Moscow (RUS), Helsinki Klezmer Festival (FI), Klezmore (AUS), Limmud (LI) etc.. 
In addition to his own projects, Mark performs with the Merlin Shepherd Kapelye (UK/GUS) and Aaron Alexander’s Midrash Mish Mosh (USA) and continues to teach Yiddish music and dance world-wide.
He came to Hamburg, Germany in 2004, and  founded the Hamburg Klezmer Band in 2007.
In 2009 he was the musical director of the KlezmerFest in Hamburg.
His Klezmer compositions have been played by groups from all over the world.

Press:
„…a virtuosic devil's fiddler and master of old Yiddish violon style!“ MONIKA FEIL (Fialke, Fir)
„His violin talks!“ Andrea Stellfeldt, a enthusiastic listener. cited in the German paper : WESTDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG (http://www.wz-newsline.de)

Recordings:
„What Does The Motherland Start With“ (Psoy Korolenko and the “All Stars Klezmer Band”, “Bad Taste” Label, Russia, 2005)
“KlezFest. 5 years together” (Kiew, 2005)
“The Upward Flight” (USA, 2005, das Projekt with Michael Alpert and Stuart Brotman)
“The Intimate Hopes & Terrors” (“Merlin Shepherd Kapelye”, Label “Oriente Musik”, Germany, 2006)
„Sol Sajn“ (Compilation on the „Bear Family Records“ label, Germany, 2009)
„In the beginning“ (“Hamburg Klezmer Band”, Germany, 2009)

Projects:

Hamburg Klezmer Band (Hamburg-Berlin, Germany)
Fialke (Hamburg-Erlangen, Germany)
Queen Esther’s Klezmer Trio (Hamburg-Cologne-Riga)
Merlin Shepherd Kapelye (Brighton, Hamburg, Harkov, Saint-Petersburg, Moscow, Kishiniev, Vinnitsa)
Karahod (Hamburg)