The Main Partner of the 35th Jewish Culture Festival and the patron of its online broadcasts is the Małopolska Region
Music is, for me, the key that unlocks the doors of space. Through it, I can fill the atmosphere of a room, a classroom, or a concert hall with an endless variety of flavours, scents, and emotions. It allows me to touch the listener, to convey what I think, what I see, and what I wish to express. Through sound, I strive to open hearts and minds, to inspire others to fall in love with Music, and to move closer to the state that some call Perfection. Only Music can bring such joy, such colours, and such profound reflection.
Yehuda Prokopowicz was born in 2005 and was a semi-finalist of the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, where he also received the Special Prize for the Best Performance of the Mazurkas. He is also a prizewinner of more than thirty national and international piano competitions
The works featured in this new programme revolve around the themes of the body, womanhood, and memory. Alongside classical instruments, the arrangements incorporate electronic and Eastern instruments, including those traditionally used in meditation. On stage, different worlds and eras converge: past and present, East and West, classical, contemporary, and ethnic musical traditions come together in a single artistic experience.
Jeremiah Lockwood’s new cantorial composition for two voices and chamber orchestra, written for and performed by Riki Rose and Yoel Kohn, accompanied by the Airis Quartet under the direction of Alan Pierson.
The Selichot service marks the beginning of the High Holy Days and serves as the cantor’s debut in a series of performances of extraordinary spiritual and emotional significance. It is a time of heightened tension and deep emotional focus, during which the cantor leads the congregation through a process of introspection and transformation. The liturgy of this season speaks of these as the days when it is determined who shall live and who shall die, and the musical ritual approaches this allegory with the utmost gravity. The cantor assumes a dual role: both a virtuoso giving voice to the community and an advocate who passionately pleads before the Throne of Mercy on behalf of those who suffer, asking for more time.
The Klezmatics are one of the most iconic and trailblazing ensembles in contemporary Jewish music. Since emerging from New York’s East Village in 1986, they have been at the forefront of the global klezmer revival, fusing centuries-old Yiddish musical traditions with a bold, contemporary sensibility.
Over the past four decades, the band has seamlessly blended klezmer with jazz, gospel, punk, classical music, and Latin and Balkan rhythms. Deeply rooted in the Jewish traditions of Eastern Europe, their work also reflects a progressive artistic vision, engaging with themes of human rights, opposition to fundamentalism, and cultural resistance. The Klezmatics are the only klezmer ensemble to have won a Grammy Award, receiving the honour for Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie. They have released thirteen albums and earned numerous accolades, including the German Record Critics’ Award.
I would recommend that anyone seeking to understand the essence of mizrahi music in Israel listen to the Ziryab Trio, founded by Tayseer Elias… one of the finest oud players, performing alongside Nassim Daqwar on violin and Zohar Fresco on percussion. Elias has mastered the art of improvisation on the oud to perfection, while Daqwar brings a classically trained approach to the violin. Zohar Fresco, whose virtuosic riqq technique recalls the playing of the Indian tabla, serves as the ensemble’s unifying force… Without a doubt, this is a group that deserves to be known throughout the world. — Yossi Harsonski, Ma’ariv
Saturday night at the festival in Kazimierz will be as vibrant as ever! And although this year we’ll gather on Wąska Street rather than Szeroka Street, the location is beside the point. What truly matters is the power of the music, the sense of community, and the joy of dancing. Our master of ceremonies will be the incomparable Frank London, who will assemble a one-of-a-kind klezmer orchestra especially for the occasion, making the Jewish heart of the world beat—this time on Wąska Street.
Professor Taiseer Elias is a world-renowned virtuoso of the oud and oriental violin. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has performed on major stages in Israel and around the world, establishing himself as one of the leading soloists in Arabic art music. He is widely regarded as a foremost authority on the interpretation and improvisation of classical Arabic music, uniquely combining this tradition with musical influences from across the globe, including those of the Western classical tradition.
The Cantors’ Concert is one of those rare musical experiences that remain in the grateful memory of listeners—perhaps for years, perhaps for a lifetime.
The magic of the place: the Tempel Synagogue.
Those whose voices open the gates of heaven: the cantors.
And we, living in a world of constant turmoil, come together to fulfil a simple longing—to spend two or three hours immersed in the pure sound of voices raised in praise of God.
The luminous resonance of these rich, multi-voiced chants invites us into the spiritual depth and timeless beauty of the cantorial tradition. Is this not why we cross the threshold of the synagogue’s gate?
Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
— Psalm 118:19
The name Derya Ensemble derives from the ancient Turkish word derya, meaning “sea.” Just as the sea connects distant cultures through its endless waves, the ensemble was founded in Kraków with the aim of bringing people together through music, transcending cultural boundaries through a shared sonic experience.
Derya Ensemble brings to life the rich and diverse musical traditions carried across the seas, performing on historically informed replicas of ancient instruments. Its repertoire pays tribute to these timeless instruments, offering audiences an immersive musical journey that evokes the spirit of the past while resonating deeply in the present.