Klezmer Virtuoso Giora Feidman Embarks on German Tour
Translated & summarized from Jüdische Allgemeine by baba
Klezmer clarinetist Giora Feidman, 90, has commenced a 23-performance tour across Germany, running until February 2027. The "For a Better World" project features compositions by Majid Montazer and aims to unite diverse cultures through music. Feidman, who became a German citizen in 2024, is known for his unique Klezmer style, his work on "Schindler's List," and his role as a cultural ambassador. The tour includes concerts celebrating his "80th stage anniversary."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Klezmer clarinetist Giora Feidman, 90, is on a 23-performance German tour until February 2027.
- The tour, "For a Better World," features music by Iranian composer Majid Montazer.
- Feidman, a German citizen since 2024, aims to unite cultures through his music.
- He is celebrated for his unique Klezmer style and contributions to "Schindler's List."
- Several concerts in January will mark his "80th stage anniversary."
Klezmer clarinetist Giora Feidman, 90, has begun a new concert tour across Germany, scheduled to run until February of next year, featuring 23 performances. The tour, titled "For a Better World," showcases compositions by Iranian musician Majid Montazer, which Feidman interprets with his ensemble. The internationally acclaimed musician will perform in various venues, including churches, theaters, and concert halls, with some dates as a duo and others as a trio. In January, several concerts will celebrate Feidman's "80th stage anniversary."
The "For a Better World" project embodies Feidman's lifelong message of uniting people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, a theme he has pursued through his music for decades. His collaboration with Montazer musically realizes this aim, with Montazer composing the pieces and Feidman performing them on the clarinet.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1936 to Bessarabian parents, Feidman's musical heritage is rooted in Eastern European Jewish tradition, with his family dedicated to Klezmer music for four generations. He developed a unique style blending traditional Jewish melodies with classical, tango, jazz, and pop elements. After early musical training and performing in Argentina, including at the Teatro Colón, he moved to Israel in 1957. There, he was a member of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for nearly 20 years before launching a successful solo career that took him worldwide.
Feidman gained wider recognition for his contribution to the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, and also appeared in films like Caroline Link's "Beyond Silence" and Joseph Vilsmaier's "Comedian Harmonists."
In Germany, Feidman is also recognized as a cultural bridge between Jewish and non-Jewish communities. He performed at the German Bundestag in 2000 and received the Federal Cross of Merit in 2001. He played for over 800,000 people at World Youth Day in Cologne in 2005. In 2024, Feidman became a German citizen, citing his connection to Germany and a desire to foster understanding, stating, "Nothing makes me feel more human than reconciliation between Germans and Jews." Even at 90, he continues to perform, often beginning concerts by walking through the audience playing his clarinet, aiming to share his inner self through music.