is a founding member of Chicago Klezmer Ensemble (1983), a member of Brave Old World (since 1992) and Duo Controverso, and has performed and recorded with the Klezmatics and with Itzhak Perlman’s In the Fiddler’s House. Since 1986 he has taught klezmer music style and techniques at numerous festivals and workshops in Europe and North America. Known mainly for his efforts on clarinet, Kurt plays many instruments (bass clarinet, tsimbl, accordion, saxophone, recorder,...) and builds some of them. He produces a series learning resources for klezmer music based on historic recordings collected from various archives. In addition to his involvement with klezmer music, he has been active playing jazz, chamber music, various styles of ethnic folk music, and most recently, adapting virtuoso instrumental music of the 16th and 17th centuries for performance on clarinet, bass clarinet and basset-horn.