Courses
Advanced Song Workshop July 21-28
With Barbara Boock, Itzik Gottesman, Diana Matut, Ethel Raim, Andreas Schmitges, Jeff Warschauer Artists in Residence Svetlana Kundish, Andrea Pancur, Deborah Strauss
lider fun mayrev un mizrekh – brikn tsvishn tsaytn un lender
Songs from West and East – Bridges between Time and Space
After intensive preparation and research, we're ready this year to look still more deeply into the world of Yiddish song in Western and Eastern Europe and their parallels to German song repertoire. We've brought together an extraordinary and unique team of specialists to explore the subject from different sides:
Diana Matut (Halle) & Jeff Warschauer (New York) will focus on "Performing Yiddish Song, 1500-1800." Ethel Raim (New York) & Itzik Gottesman (New York) are world famous as specialists in the Folk Songs, Ballades and Folklore of Eastern European Jewish culture. Barbara Boock (Freiburg, Folk Song Archive) & Andreas Schmitges (Köln) will present and put into singing practice the astonishing results of their year-long research into "Parallels between Eastern Yiddish and German Folksongs."
This workshop promises to be a fascinating voyage of discovery through epochs, countries and cultural spheres. 500 years of Yiddish songs, their development in the East and the West, and their German parallels comprise a rich variety of subjects and countless possibilities for contemporary artistic realizations of this repertoire.
Workshop fee: Standard 460 € / Reduced 355 € / Supporter 635 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back 
Yiddish Language Classes:
In 2012, we're delighted to be able to offer three week-long, intensive Yiddish courses: Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced! The courses build on one another and you can take all three in a row. The third course, taught by Professor Simon Neuberg, requires a strong prior knowledge of Yiddish, and if you work hard in the first two courses, you can be ready for it.
If you only have one or two weeks free, then of course you can also take just one or two courses, as always, according to your Yiddish language ability. Graduates of the Intermediate course in 2011 are more than welcome in Prof. Neuberg's course this year.
So you can study Yiddish in 3½ weeks this summer in Weimar with some of the best teachers and specialists in the world, surrounded by the incredibly rich cultural program of jam sessions, concerts and other events of Yiddish Summer Weimar.
The Yiddish courses are being offered in cooperation with the Seminar for Jewish Studies, University of Halle-Wittenberg. College students can receive credit for their participation. For more information about this, please send an email to Andreas Schmitges:
beginning July 21-28
With Dorothea Greve
The Hebrew alphabet ("square script") is the key to one of the world's richest and most fascinating cultures that originated 1000 years ago in the Rhineland...
read more 
beginning July 21-28
With Dorothea Greve
The Hebrew alphabet ("square script") is the key to one of the world's richest and most fascinating cultures that originated 1000 years ago in the Rhineland, blossomed in Eastern Europe, and can be found today on every continent – Yiddish culture.
In this intensive course students quickly and playfully learn to read the Yiddish alphabet, opening the door to all sorts of original Yiddish texts, including songs, poems and short stories. You'll get important tips on pronunciation and start to "shmuesn" ("shmooze") in Yiddish from the very first lesson, thus developing a feeling for this expressive and musical language. The course creates an ideal basis for anyone working with Yiddish on stage, e.g. for singers. Previous knowledge is not required, and success is guaranteed! In addition, this course will introduce you to the gripping history of the Yiddish language and you'll experience first-hand what YIDISHKAYT means!
Workshop fee: Standard 460 € / Reduced 355 € / Supporter 635 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back
intermediate July 30 - August 5
With Yuri Vedenyapin
This course will be aimed at those interested in learning the Yiddish language and exploring the diverse history and culture of Ashkenazic Jewry.
read more
intermediate July 30 - August 5
With Yuri Vedenyapin
This course will be aimed at those interested in learning the Yiddish language and exploring the diverse history and culture of Ashkenazic Jewry. Basic familiarity with the Jewish alphabet and with simple Yiddish phrases will be expected. Classes will include samples of Yiddish prose, poetry, songs, films, and contemporary ethnographic material. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing authentic pronunciation and on understanding variations among the main Yiddish dialects.
Workshop fee: Standard 460 € / Reduced 355 € / Supporter 635 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration
back
advanced August 7-14
With Simon Neuberg
In 1923, Max Weinreich, who was to become an outstanding authority on Western and Eastern Yiddish, published a modern Yiddish prose...
read more
advanced August 7-14
With Simon Neuberg
In 1923, Max Weinreich, who was to become an outstanding authority on Western and Eastern Yiddish, published a modern Yiddish prose version of "Mekhires Yoysef" based on the book "Tam-veyosher", thus adapting a Western text for modern Eastern readers. This text (http://www.archive.org/details/mekhiresyosef00wein) will be at the center of the course and allow forays into related texts and topics.
Participants of the Advanced Yiddish Seminar should show some experience with Yiddish literature: reading, understanding and reproducing of Yiddish texts. Take the seminar as a chance for actively using the Yiddish language!
Workshop fee: Standard 460 € / Reduced 355 € / Supporter 635 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration
back
Introduction to Klezmer Music, Yiddish Song & Yidishkayt August 1-5
With Dorothea Greve, Mark Kovnatskiy, Franka Lampe, Andrea Pancur, Emma Stiman
Let's say you are an instrumentalist or a singer, you've been to a concert of klezmer music, Yiddish song, or to a Yiddish dance, maybe you own some Yiddish music CDs or maybe you've read something about Yiddish culture or literature. Now you're curious and you'd like to know more: What is it like to play klezmer music? to sing Yiddish songs? What is "Yiddish" anyway, and is it the same as "Jewish" or not? If you recognize yourself here, then this special workshop is for you!
Participants in this workshop choose to focus on either klezmer (Yiddish instrumental) music or Yiddish vocal music. For half of each day, the two groups meet separately to focus on their subjects. During the other half, all the participants meet together for classes that are relevant to everyone, such as Yiddish culture, music theory, learning by ear, dance and more, directed by the entire team of teachers. All workshop sessions emphasizes hands-on, practical and active learning, not listening to lectures.
Although this is a first workshop in Yiddish music and culture, you should already play your instrument at an intermediate or higher level to participate, or, if you're primarily a singer, you should feel comfortable singing. You don't need any background in Yiddish music or culture - that's what this workshop is for!
Workshop fee: Standard 345 € / Reduced 270 € / Supporter 470 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back
Dance Music Orchestra July 31-August 5
With Alan Bern, Georg Brinkmann, James Hewitt Artists in Residence Eve Sicular, Vanessa Vromans, Vivien Zeller
"It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing..."
Did you ever think that you might be playing Renaissance, Baroque and Playford dance music alongside beloved klezmer repertoire? If not, then get ready, because this year's Dance for Everyone is the first ever to explore exactly those connections (see the Dance for Everyone workshop description). That means that we, the musicians, will also get a chance to play these repertoires, not in a dry classroom or on a quiet concert stage for a seated audience, but to provide swinging, grooving music for a crowd of living, sweating dancers! The orchestra will be led by Yiddish Summer Weimar director, Alan Bern, together with master clarinetist, Georg Brinkmann, and special guest, rising Baroque violin star James Hewitt. You don't have to be already an expert in all the repertoires to join the Dance Music Orchestra, but you should be strong in at least one of them, able to either read music or play by ear as the occasion arises, and you must have a strong curiosity in the subject of this pioneering workshop. We hope you'll join us for what will undoubtedly be an unforgettable and very joyful experience!
Workshop fee: Standard 405 € / Reduced 315 € / Supporter 555 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back
Dance for Everyone August 1-5
With Lieven Baert, Andreas Schmitges, Deborah Strauss, Steven Weintraub Artists in Residence Hélène (Khayele) Domergue-Zilberberg, Hinrich Langeloh, Vivien Zeller
When you think of Yiddish dance, do you also think of Renaissance dance? Or of John Playford and his work "The English Dancing Master" (1651)? No? Well, you should, because that's exactly what we'll be exploring during Yiddish Summer 2012 - the relationship between Yiddish dance and other historical dance repertoires.
Renaissance dance is a fascinating subject and without doubt the source of many European folk dance forms. It's found in the repertoire of Playford dances, whose choreography is almost the same as Yiddish dance, and the solo forms of both show many things clearly in common as well.
We're delighted to announce that Lieven Baart, one of the best known and respect dance specialists in this style, will join us as a teacher this year. The workshop will be coordinated by Andreas Schmitges and dancing will be accompanied by live music played by the Dance Music Orchestra under the direction of Alan Bern, Georg Brinkmann and, for the first time, James Hewitt.
The workshop is aimed at dancers at every level. Everyone is welcome, from beginners to professionals, and we're sure that everyone will enjoy learning from internationally renowned dance teachers, dancing to great live music, making new friends and simply being in the unique atmosphere of Yiddish Summer Weimar.
So come and join us in for an international, intercultural premiere and a fascinating journey through European and Yiddish dance traditions from four centuries!
Workshop fee: Standard 345 € / Reduced 270 € / Supporter 470 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back
Children's Songs Workshop August 6-10
With Diana Matut, Andreas Schmitges
About the green duck, the brown bear and the butterfly – Songs for litte and big children
All ages from 6 to 120 are welcome in our workshop, "Songs for little and big children." We'll be learning a small repertoire together and working on both, melody and language. The subject is Yiddish children's songs, some of which will be taught with their German parallels.
In the morning we'll make music all together in one group. Depending on number and ages of the participants, we may divide the group in the afternoon to focus on the needs of the younger and older singers.
You should bring along patience for big and small people and your best possible spirits , as well as enjoyment while singing and the ability to hold a tune. If you play an instrument, bring it along, too! We may be able to use it.
Schedule: 10 am – 1 pm and 3 – 6 pm.
Children can stay with us the whole day. For an additional small fee, participants can have lunch together and use the lunch break for dancing and trips to the park.
There will be a short presentation on Saturday, August 11 at 11 am in the Coudray Room of the Ottmar Gerster Music Schooll.
The languages of instruction will be German, Yiddish and/or English, as needed.
For the children: please bring a small bag with scissors, paste, strips of paper, paintbrush and a box of watercolors, colored pencils and pencils! We'd like to make some visual art to go along with the songs.
Workshop fee: Standard 345 € / Reduced 270 € / Supporter 470 € / Child & Youth (6 – 18 years) 150 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back
Advanced Instrumental Workshop August 7-14
With Zev Feldman, Avery Gosfeld, James Hewitt, Joel Rubin, Eliyahu Schleifer, Deborah Strauss Artists in Residence Evi Heigl, Jeff Warschauer
Klezmer music, like the Yiddish language itself, resonates with the history of other times and places, other languages, other musics. read more
With Zev Feldman, Avery Gosfeld, James Hewitt, Joel Rubin, Eliyahu Schleifer, Deborah Strauss Artists in Residence Evi Heigl, Jeff Warschauer
Klezmer music, like the Yiddish language itself, resonates with the history of other times and places, other languages, other musics. Like an archeological site, new layers are built on older layers built on still older layers... with many spectacular discoveries waiting patiently for the right people to come along.
In 2012, our special subject is Di brikn fun ashkenaz: (The Bridges of Ashkenaz) connections between Western and Eastern European Yiddish music cultures. We've invited a diverse team of the finest international performers, scholars and teachers to help us explore an essential subject that, strangely, has hardly been touched in the last 30 years. We welcome back Joel Rubin (clarinet) and Deborah Strauss (violin), recognized masters of Eastern European klezmer repertoire and style. Also returning in 2012 are Avery Gosfield, the director of Milan-based Lucidarium and a leading expert in both non-Jewish and Jewish music in Western Europe during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. One of the most renowned scholars of klezmer music in the world and a regular of Yiddish Summer Weimar, Walter Zev Feldman will also join us in 2012. And we welcome two new teachers to our team, the eminent scholar of Ashkenazi liturgical modes and music, Elyahu Schleifer, and a rising international star in the Baroque music world, violinist James Hewitt. This remarkable team of teachers, together with a diverse, international group of advanced participants, will have the pleasure of many hours of shared music-making, discovery, discussion and reflection during this workshop. Our understanding and experience of Yiddish music will never be the same afterwards. We hope you can join us!
For a glimpse of the atmosphere of Yiddish Summer advanced workshops, check out the video made by Shaun Williams during the 2010 festival here >> go to the page (Video 2)
Workshop fee: Standard 460 € / Reduced 355 € / Supporter 635 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back
100 Year Anniversary, Belf's Romanian Orchestra August 16-18
With Jerome Block, David Brossier, Lauren Clouet, Amit Weisberger
Freylekhs Brider (the Belf Project 1912 – 2012)
Ever since the recordings of Belf's Romanian Orchestra re-appeared during the late 20th century "klezmer renaissance," musicians have been fascinated by the ensemble's highly idiosyncratic sound. Is it somehow typical of an earlier Yiddish music aesthetic, or an exotic outlier, or possibly even a parody? How would we know? Who was V. Belf? Where did he come from? How many Belf orchestras were there and why? Who and how large was his audience? One thing is for sure: every major contemporary klezmer musician has had to come to terms with the Belf repertoire and sound in one way or another. As the answers to the historical questions have begun to emerge, performers have tried to unlock the secret of the Belf sound. To surprise of many, four young musicians from France have now discovered some of the most important keys. Listen to the samples on this website if you doubt! 100 years after the first Belf recordings, the Freylekhs Brider - Amit Weisberger (violin), Jerome Block (piano), Laurent Clouet (clarinet) and David Brossier (sekund) - guide us in this very special workshop dedicated to the mysteries of the Belf sound, its history and its meaning for klezmer musicians today. For advanced intermediate through professional klezmer musicians, this is a rare opportunity to focus on one of the most challenging repertoires and sounds in all of klezmer music.
Workshop fee: Standard 225 € / Reduced 180 € / Supporter 300 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back
Klezmer, Yiddish song and Culture beginning and intermediate levels: August 16-21
With Janina Wurbs (both) Beginning: Rosi Dasch, Katharina Müther, Emma Stiman
Intermediate: Sasha Lurje, Merlin Shepherd, Ilya Shneveys, Jake Shulman-Ment
This workshop is for you if: 1) you've already had an introduction to klezmer or Yiddish song in Yiddish Summer or elsewhere, or 2) you've been playing/singing Yiddish music for some time already, maybe 2+ years, but you wouldn't be ready yet to give a public performance, or 3) you're an advanced player/singer but you'd like to know more about how Yiddish music connects to Yiddish culture and history.
To go deeper into the style and repertoire of Yiddish music (klezmer or song), means understanding their connection to each other and to the rest of Yiddish culture. That's exactly what you'll get in this workshop. Designed for both singers and instrumentalists, you'll choose a main focus of either Yiddish song or klezmer music. About half of each day, vocalists and instrumentalists work separately from each other. During the other half, everyone meet together for classes relevant to all participants, including Yiddish culture and ethnography, music theory, dance and more.
The teachers are all internationally renowned performers or scholars, expert at active, hands-on learning. Most classes are team-taught, with one team for the beginning level and another for the intermediate level. The atmosphere is intense but very warm and friendly, and the teachers and students from more than a dozen countries quickly form a close learning community.
Since the special subject of Yiddish Summer 2012 is Di brikn fun ashkenaz (The bridges of Ashkenaz) - connections between Western and Eastern European Yiddish cultures, this workshop will also feature special sessions devoted to that theme in addition to regular program. And, as always, the program includes concerts, jam sessions, and many other events that make the atmosphere of Yiddish Summer Weimar so special. Check out Vitaly Komann's short film of Yiddish Summer 2010 to get a glimpse of what we mean: click here. We hope to see you this summer in Weimar!
Workshop fee: Standard 405 € / Reduced 315 € / Supporter 555 €
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about
>> Registration back
