Yiddish Dance Orchestra Workshop 
Aug 12 – 17 @TANZWERKSTATT
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. & 3 – 6 p.m.

With Susi Evans, Craig Judelman, Hampus Melin & Ilya Shneyveys
Artist-in-residence: Alan Bern & Szilvia Csaranko

Academic credit for this workshop!

Are you an undergraduate or graduate student at a university or conservatory? If so, you can probably get 1-3 academic credits for taking this workshop, thanks to our new cooperation with the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar, Germany. Please send an email to for more details.

Whether you're an experienced klezmer musician or a skilled instrumentalist looking to explore a new style, the Yiddish Summer Weimar Dance Orchestra is the place for you! One of the highlights of the festival, this workshop offers a practical approach to studying Yiddish dance music. Over the course of the week, participants dive into the nuances of the klezmer style and immediately apply that knowledge by playing for dancers. In addition, an expert faculty will teach the musicians dance elements essential for a deeper understanding of the Yiddish style.

As we all know, the bulk of traditional klezmer repertoire is wedding music. This year, we have the chance not only to explore wedding dances and non-dance wedding music, but also to end the workshop week playing for a Jewish wedding dance ball!

The workshop will explore such essential topics as ensemble playing, style, repertoire, instrumental technique, ornamentation, rhythm, phrasing, harmony and modes in klezmer music. During the daytime workshops, participants learn by ear and from sheet music in a big group, while nightly jam sessions provide space for spontaneous musical interactions in an informal setting.

If you're unsure about whether this workshop is right for your musical level of experience, please click here.

Workshop fee: 405 € Standard / 315 € Reduced / 555 € Sponsor / 165 € under 18.
For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about

The evening program that caps each workshop day has much to do with the unique atmosphere of Yiddish Summer Weimar. On some evenings we meet for jam sessions in Weimar's cafés or in the Other Music Academy (OMA), a great opportunity to put into practice what you've been learning during the day and connect with the other participants. On other evenings, we present concerts connected to the workshop topic performed by internationally recognized artists. During the Festival Week (July 27 - August 3), directly following each evening's featured event in the mon ami cultural center, we meet again in the OMA for the Late Night Cabaret, an informal and fun atmosphere for short performances by anyone ready to jump on stage. In Yiddish Summer Weimar, learning, playing and connecting with each other go hand-in-hand.