London Klezmer Quartet
Resume
The London Klezmer Quartet is made up of some of Europe’s finest klezmer talent. Their music taps traditional and original melodies in the spirit of the Jewish minstrels who have performed in Eastern Europe for hundreds of years. “Violin, piano accordion, bass and clarinet meet in a joyous celebration that goes far beyond the traditional klezmer field of weddings to embrace a celebration of life itself” (Sydney Morning Herald).
Hot on the heels of their sell-out 2012 Australian tour they will have audiences dancing in the aisles on a return five-week national tour in Autumn 2013 promoting their new album. The band’s members are also in demand as educators – fiddler Ilana Cravitz’s definitive guide to playing Klezmer commissioned by Oxford University Press is “the best exposition I've come across of Eastern European-style Jewish fiddle playing…Highly recommended.” (Folk Roots Magazine).
Ilana Cravitz, violin
Ilana has introduced hundreds people of all ages to klezmer via performances, through courses and workshops at universities and conservatoires, and at events like the Genius of the Violin Festival and Fiddles on Fire. She is an instrumental teacher on the faculty of the international KlezFest London, and also leads the Yiddish dances that form the bulk of the klezmer repertoire. Ilana studied baroque violin at post-graduate level at the Royal College of Music, and klezmer with the leaders of the international revival. She has published a popular klezmer violin method and her articles on klezmer appear in magazines around the world (The Strad, Folk London, Arco, Trad & Now).
Susi Evans, clarinet
Susi’s performances with the She’Koyokh Klezmer Ensemble, a group which she co-founded, has inspired press reviews remarking on her “nimble solo features and excellent tone control” (The Scottish Herald), and “infectious enthusiasm” (Oxford Times). She performed with She’Koyokh on the BBC Radio 3 stage at WOMAD 2012. Susi also appears regularly on the West End stage in the award-winning show War Horse. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a first class degree in 2004 and has studied in Istanbul with acclaimed clarinetist Selim Sesler.
Carol Isaacs, piano accordion
A pianist, keyboard player and accordionist, Carol works the pop and world music stages recording and touring with many international artists including Jackson Browne (US), Bonnie Raitt (US), Joan Baez (US), Sinead O’Connor (Ireland), The Indigo Girls (US), Natacha Atlas (Egypt), Abdel Ali Slimani (Algeria), Ahmed Mukhtar (Iraq) and Phongsit Khampee (Thailand).
Indra Buraczewska, double bass
Indra joined the London Klezmer Quartet for their Australian Tour in 2012 and is now an enduring band member! Indra has toured Europe and played the Edinburgh and Galway festivals, and in Australia has appeared at major festivals including Woodford, the Falls Festival, Earthcore and the National Folk Festival. She played bass for the gypsy trio ‘Vardos’ for the past six years and is currently also a member of an exciting new Balkans quartet: ‘Byzantine Blue’.