The Cornell University Klezmer Ensemble (CUKE) is a student organization of Cornell University, made up of students, staff, and community members. CUKE was formed in January 2004 by world renowned klezmer expert Joel Rubin while he was a visiting scholar at Cornell. We play several genres or klezmer music, most based on Dr. Rubin's research: American klezmer from New York and Philadelphia of the 1910s and 1920s; the repertoire of New York clarinetist Dave Tarras from the late 1930s to mid-1940s; Russian (Ukraine/Belarus) klezmer from pre-revolutionary times. The ensemble is now led by brassist Ryan Zawel.
Klezmer was originally the ritual and celebratory music of the Yiddish-speaking Jews of Eastern Europe, where it developed over the course of many centuries.
True to klezmer tradition, we play an eclectic collection of instruments: clarinets, trombone, tuba, mandolin, flutes, piano, accordion, violins, cello, mandolin and percussion.
The concert will take place in the Auditorium at Kendal at Ithaca, and is free and open to the public.
Dancing and foot-tapping are encouraged!
