STAR & STRIPES

Synagogue music by Jewish
composers from Germany,
who emigrated to the USA

Louis Lewandowski Festival 2014

Synagogue music and the Jewish tradition

Synagogue music plays a central role in the religious life of Jewish communities.
This form of music has developed over centuries and reflects the spiritual and cultural values of Judaism.

Emigration to the United States

Many Jewish composers were forced to leave Germany due to persecution by the Nazi regime.
They found a new home in the United States, where they were able to further develop their musical traditions.

Influence on the music

In the USA, they combined their traditional synagogal music with American musical styles.
This synthesis led to a unique development of the Jewish musical tradition that both respects its roots and integrates new, modern elements.

The experiences of the composers

The works of this year’s composers reflect their experiences of flight, adaptation and creative renewal.
Their contribution to synagogal music remains significant today, both in the US and around the world

The artists 2014

Synagogal Ensemble Berlin

The Synagogal Ensemble Berlin (SEB) combines the precision of classical concert singing with the vibrant tradition and deep spirituality of Jewish liturgical music. Founded in 2002 by conductor Regina Yantian, this professional vocal ensemble has become a fixture on the European cultural scene. It embodies a broad musical spectrum that makes Jewish sacred music accessible to a modern audience.

Regina Yantian – Artistic Director

In the 14th year of the Louis Lewandowski Festival, for the first time only music by Oriental Jews will be heard, whose melodies, keys and choice of instruments are very much influenced by the musical culture of their Arab countries of origin in the Middle East and North Africa.
Gegründet 2006 von Hector Sabo, bestand das Ensemble Vocal Hébraïca bis 2011 aus vier männlichen Solisten des gemischten Chores Les Polyphonies Hébraïques de Strasbourg (Teilnehmer des LLF 2011).

ENSEMBLE VOCAL HÉBRAÏCA DE STRASBOURG

Founded in 2006 by Hector Sabo and composed by the male soloists of the mixed choir Les Polyphonies Hébraïques de Strasbourg (participants in LLF 2011), the Ensemble Vocal Hébraïca performs as a vocal quartet until 2011. Then, the group had grown into a quintette to become a mixed voices octet in 2012 already.
Der Amakim Chor wurde 1980 gegründet und besteht aus ca. 45 Sängerinnen und Sängern aus dem Norden Israels. Die meisten Choristen leben in einem Kibbutz oder Moschaw, einige in Nachbarstädten.

Amakim Choir, Israel

The Amakim Choir was founded in 1980 and consists of around 45 singers from the north of Israel. Most of the choir members live in a kibbutz or moshav, some in neighboring towns.

Zamir Chorale of Boston

Founded in 1969, the Zamir Chorale of Boston is a musical and educational institution dedicated to raising awareness of the diversity and beauty of Jewish culture through performances, recordings, symposia, publications and commissions. The artistic director and founder is Joshua Jacobson.
THE VOICES OF ISRAEL ENSEMBLE

The Voices of Israel Ensemble

The Voices of Israel Ensemble was founded thirty years ago in Netanya. The ensemble now consists of up to seventy cantorial singers from all over Israel, who pursue very different professions in their private lives: Professors, physicists, engineers, lawyers, farmers, ...

Impressions 2014