International Klezmer Festival 'LvivKlezFest-2014'
Between July 1-13, the city of Lviv will host the sixth International Festival of Klezmer music 'LvivKlezFest'. This year’s slogan is ‘Jews Stand for the Unity of Ukraine!’
Lviv is one of Ukraine’s most important and beautiful cultural centers. It hosts some 100 festivals annually. 'LvivKlezFest' is a complex phenomenon. It is not only about Yiddish, Jewish music, song and dance, it's an encounter of languages, styles, cultures, creativity and good vibes. On the one hand, the festival represents an attempt to recreate the lost Jewish musical culture and to revive that part of the Galician multicultural capital which was lost in the Holocaust. On the other hand, the festival attracts and unites tourists from different countries -- Jews, Germans, Poles, Hungarians and others -- thus reconfirming the image of Lviv as 'the city of all cultures and peoples'. Symbolically, all the musicians are of Ukrainian origin; Polina Shepherd is a direct descendant of the famous Ukrainian philosopher, Hrihory Skovoroda.
Each year the festival engages the most renowned professionals in the field of Jewish music and art, including Grammy-award winners. This year the festival unites musicians from nine countries: Latvia, the U.S., Israel, Germany, the U.K., Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and France.
The agenda boasts various activities:
- art, historical and Judaica exhibitions;
- theater performances;
- film shows;
- music events in various styles, including collaborations by musicians from different countries with much improvising;
- workshops in Jewish dance, vocals, and art;
- Jewish quarter fest, featuring guided tours, a media tour, a concert and activities for kids;
- a cuisine battle between the Galician Jewish Tavern 'Under the Golden Rose' and cafe 'Jerusalem'.
The final gala-concert will feature all the participants' performance and a 3D show on the walls of City Hall.
'LvivKlezFest-2014' organizers and sponsors include:
- the All-Ukrainian Jewish Charity Foundation 'Hesed-Arieh';
- the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee;
- 'Emotions Holding !FEST' Company and Galician Jewish Tavern 'Under the Golden Rose';
- the Embassy of Israel in Ukraine;
- the Lviv City Council.
Festival participants are:
The Lviv Regional Philharmony, 'Lemko Bluegrass Band' (Lviv); 'Semer Label Reloaded' (Germany-U.S.-Latvia); 'Klezmer Alliance' (Moldova-Germany-U.K.); Efim Chorny (Moldova); Suzanna Ghergus (Molodova); Guy Shalom (U.K.); Berl Shpel, Thomas Fritze, Andreas Shmitges (Germany); Youth Symphony Orchestra 'INSO-Lviv', Lorin Sklamberg (U.S.); Merlin Shepherd and Polina Shepherd (U.K.); Alan Bern (Germany-U.S.); Christian David (Germany); Mark Kovnatskiy (Germany); Sasha Lurie (Latvia); Sean Williams (U.S.); Alina Ivakh (Russia-Ukraine); Martin Lilich (Germany); Mike Kaufmann-Portnikov (Kyiv).
