W-X-Y-Z
Judith Wachs
American musicologist, performer, artistic director. Judith Wachs serves as artistic director of Voice of the Turtle, a Boston-based group specializing in the music of the Jews of Spain. The group "learns most of its repertoire from field recordings housed in Jerusalem at the Jewish Music Research Center, at Hebrew University and at the radio station Kol Yisrael. These versions were collected by radio-journalists, scholars, and ethnomusicologists from Sephardi communities in Israel,documenting many versions of the songs which have been preserved by oral tradition." Their website includes information on the performers, their instruments, and the group through FAQs.
http://www.voiceoftheturtle.com
Mira Waksman-Kimiagaroof
Mira Waksman-Kimiagaroof, a San Francisco-based artist, sings in Hebrew, although many compositions are Sephardic (Mediterranean and Middle Eastern) tunes that come from Uzbekistan, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Morocco and other Arabic countries. Her parents were of Uzbeki and Afghan heritage and she comes from a cantorial and family. She combines her Israeli musical influences blended with musics from others she works with. Mira's website has a brief bio, features two recordings and press info. There are photos, but no labels.
http://www.mirasings.com
Meira Maxine Warshauer
A prolific composer based in Columbia, S.C. A graduate of Harvard, New England Conservatory of Music, and the University of South Carolina, Dr. Warshauer studied composition with Mario Davidovsky, Jacob Druckman, William Thomas McKinley, and Gordon Goodwin. She has received numerous awards from ASCAP as well as the America Music Center, Meet the Composer, and the South Carolina Arts Commission. She is the first recipient of the Art and Cultural Achievement Award from the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina in 2000. Ms. Warshauer has composed numerous works for Jewish liturgy and on Jewish themes. Meira Warshauer s We Are Dreamers , for SATB chorus, clarinet, percussion and piano, was commissioned in honor of the 50th anniversary of the state of Israel. The text is Psalm 126, whose theme is the return of exiles to Zion. This psalm, sung after festive meals on Sabbath and holidays, has sustained generations of Jews in exile. The work was commissioned by a consortium of Jewish choral ensembles led by Zamir Chorale of Boston, along with the Rottenberg Chorale of New York; Gratz College Choir of Pennsylvania; Zemer Chai of Washington, DC; and Kol Dodi of New Jersey. The melodies, from Yemen, Morocco, and Greece/Salonika were found at the National Sound Archives of the Jewish National and University Library, Jerusalem, Israel. Ms. Warshauer s compositions have been performed and recorded to critical acclaim throughout the United States and in Israel, Europe, and Asia. Ms. Warshauer is an Associate Music Faculty member at Columbia College, Columbia, South Carolina. Her CDs include the soundtrack to the documentary Land of Promise: The Jews of South Carolina and "Spirals of Light", chamber music and poetry (by Ani Tuzman) on themes of enlightenment, on the Kol Meira label and "Revelation" for orchestra, included on the MMC CD Robert Black Conducts . Her music is published by Oxford University Press, MMB Music and Transcontinental. Meira Warshauer s "Yishakeyni (Sweeter than Wine) for soprano, flute and piano was performed across the U.S. by the Jerusalem Lyric Trio during the month of November, 2004. "Yishakeyni" was honored with 1st Place in the 2004 Miriam Gideon Prize from the International Association for Women in Music. Her latest Bracha Newsletter is online at http://www.jamesarts.com/releases/march04/MW_nws_030904.htm. Publishers include: Oxford University Press (http://www.oup-usa.org/music/), Mmb (http://www.mmbmusic.com/), Transcontinental (http://www.etranscon.com/)A composer's page is available listing her compositions and offering press comments.
She has two CDs of her music. She gives her contact information as: (803)787-4332 and email: meira@musician.org
home.sc.rr.com/meirawarshauer/
Eva Wasserman-Margolis
Born on the island of Key West in the Florida Keys, Eva Wasserman-Margolis began to study clarinet at the age of 13. After finishing her Master Degree in Music Performance (1980) at the University of Illinois, she secured, at the age of 23, the position of principal clarinet with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra in Israel. While in Israel, she studied musicology at Bar Ilan University. She has focused on introducing audiences to performances and recordings of music of lesser-known composers in ensembles and solo works. She has recorded for composer Sara Feigin and finished a recording project of rare music for two clarinets and piano with Luigi Magistrelli. She has also been dedicated to raising a new generation of young clarinet players. They now study and perform all over the world.
Eva was Principal Instructor at the Music Center in Tel Aviv, and presently holds the position of Main Instructor at the Conservatory of Givatayim and Petah Tiqwa. She also serves on the Pedagogue Committee at the Conservatory in Givatayim. Eva organized the first Israeli International Clarinet Festival in 1998 and brought clarinetists of international renown to both teach and perform in Israel. She serves as the National Chairperson for the International Clarinet Association in Israel, and was the first clarinetist to represent Israel at the International Clarinet Festival held in 1999 in Belgium. Wasserman-Margolis has appeared or been invited as a performer and/or clinician to the USA, Switzerland, Hungary, Portugal, Odessa, Belgium, Finland and the Ukraine. In 2004, she has been invited to perform in the International Clarinet and Saxophone Festival in Changchun City, China, partially sponsored by the Mnistry of Foreign Affairs in Israel, was praised by Jilin College of the Arts. She was one of five international performers and the only woman to receive an honorary professorship for her performance. In 2005 she is invited to perform and teach at the International Clarinet Festival, Clarinet Fest 2005, Tama City, Japan (http://www.cl-fest2005.jp/). She is sponsored by America-Israel Cultural Foundation, MusT (London) and Or-Tav Publications. OR-TAV Music Publications has published her music and books: Learning Clarinet the Artistic Way, the first clarinet method book published in Hebrew. Her other work was a best seller, Time for Tone which is published in five languages. These books are based on the premise that young clarinetists must develop a fine tone technique from the very beginning. Her work for solo clarinet, The Generation of Hope, has been arranged for A clarinet and string orchestra by Anatoly Davidenko, and is available as a rental score. Her most recent composition is Ode to Odessa for solo clarinet.
Her CD "Two Clarinets and Piano: Original Music from Finland, Malta, Israel and points in between," a collaboration with Clarinetist Luigi Magistrelli and Pianist Claudia Bracco, was recently released on the Leonarda label (www.leonarda.com). Ms. Wasserman-Margolis holds the position of main instructor at the Conservatory of Givatayim and Petach Tiqwa. She also serves on the Pedagogue Committee at the Conservatory in Givatayim. "Eva Wasserman-Margolis has quickly established herself as a superb teacher and forward thinking pedagogue, both inside Israel and abroad. Her young students in the Tel Aviv area are some of the finest performers in this age group, anywhere in the world." according to Howard Klug, Professor of Clarinet, Indiana University School of Music.
Susana Weich-Shahak
Ethnomusicologist specializing in music of the Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews.
Vally Weigl
Born, Vienna, 1899. Died, New York, 1982. Composer and piano teacher. Studied at the University of Vienna. Master's in music therapy, Columbia University. National Endowment for the Arts grant enabled her to compose and record Natures Moods, New England Suite, and four song cycles. Chief music therapist at New York Medical College. Organized "Arts for World Unity" in 1960s.
Photo credit: http://www.klassiekemuziekgids.net/compindex.htm
Rosalie Marie Wertheim
Dutch pianist and composer. Born February 19, 1888, Amsterdam. Died May 27, 1949, Laren, the Netherlands. She survived WWII by going into hiding, but also gave clandestine concerts presenting works by Jewish composers. Musicologist Dr. Melissa De Graaf has written a biographical sketch of Rosy Wertheim for the Jewish Music WebCenter, which can be viewed here as a pdf file. Dr. De Graaf's work is copyrighted. Please contact JMWC if you need more information about the use of this article. This portrait of Rosy Wertheim is from the online exhibits of the Joods Historisch Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Laura Wetzler
Laura Wetzler, Born 1957 in Bayshore, NY. NYC-based singer, composer, lyricist, recording artist, and lecturer. Tours internationally. More than 150 concerts, lectures, workshops,
radio, and TV appearances each year. ASCAP award winning original music and independent film scores State of the Art. Daughter of Long Island synagogue music director Rosalie Wetzler, Laura began singing and teaching Jewish music professionally at the age of 15. Received Bachelor of Science Degree in Vocal Performance from Hofstra University. Dorothy B. Hoag Scholar in Music. Presents 24 different concerts/ lecture programs, including "A World of Jewish Music," sung in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, and Aramaic, "Kabbalah Music: Songs of the Jewish Mystics," >"Music of the Jews of Italy" "Jewish Women in Jewish Song," "The Hitmakers: Jewish Roots, American Dreams," "The Kidsong Jewish Songwriting Workshop," "Music of the Jews of Africa-Uganda And Ethiopia," "Jewels of the Diaspora," a duo concert with Janiece Thompson, touring colleges, museums and community centers since 1990 doing grassroots African-American and Jewish peace and anti-racism work through song; plus performances of her original music and independent film scores (State of the Art.)Recordings Songwriter's Notebook and Kabbalah Music:Songs of the Jewish Mystics receive international radio airplay . More information: www.laurawetzler.com
Rosalie Wetzler
Rosalie Wetzler, Born Brooklyn NY in 1914. Died, 1973. Synagogue music director, conductor, pianist, organist, cantorial coach, Jewish music radio personality and life long Jewish music educator. Conducted Rosalie Wetzler Choirs. Prepared and conducted vocal quartets for Long Island synagogues and as a member of the Jewish
Music Forum in NYC. In the 1950's and 1960's was a pioneer in bringing many new works of Jewish music by Freed, Weiner, Binder, Ephros, Janowski to NY
congregations. One recording: "Our Temple Music" (out of print). Sang soprano with The Gotham Singers octet in the first NY performance (March 19, 1956 at The Jewish Museum) of Max Janowski's Avinu Malkenu. In addition to her work as a synagogue music director and educator, Rosalie Wetzler hosted a weekly Sunday morning radio program of Jewish music from Israel and around the world on WBAB, Babylon, NY. (circa 1965?-1971?)
Maria Winetzkaja
Born ca.1888, Kishinev, Bessarabia. Died, 1956. Mezzo soprano and pianist. Moved to US in 1904. Artist Diploma, 1913, Institute of Music Art in NY. Debut at Boston Opera Company, 1917 and continued for lengthy career. Later in life she taught at Julliard.
Jody Wixelbaum
Choral composer and arranger of synagogue music. Works with Zamir Chorale of Boston. She arranges works for the group Kol Tefilah.
Cantor Josee Wolff
"Cantor Wolff, a native of The Netherlands, holds a degree in flute from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, and performed and recorded throughout Europe as a member of various chamber ensembles. In 1991 she received her Masters degree in Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, School of Sacred Music and was the first woman from the European continent to be invested as a cantor... She currently serves as Director of Student Placement and a part time faculty member at the School of Sacred Music, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. She was Director of the Department of Synagogue Music of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and served as cantor at Temple Shalom in Succasunna, NJ, Temple Beth Chaverim in Mahwah, NJ, Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City, the Liberal Jewish Congregation in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas, USVI. She is a member of the executive board of the American Conference of Cantors, the School of Sacred Music Advisory Council, and the Joint Commission on Worship, Music and Religious Living."
http://www.cantorwolff.com/
Hanna Yaffe
Produced a CD of lullabies in various languages such as Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic and Russian.
http://www.batkol.com/
Masha Yakubovich
Born in 1963. Yiddish singer from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Studied at Tashkent Conservatoire. Concertized throughout Uzbekistan, and in Russia.
Yaffa Yarkoni
Born in Israel in 1925, Yarkoni has had a successful singing career in the new State of Israel, starting off singing songs of the Palmach. She was a radio operator during Israel's War of Independence. She started singing for large groups at that time, appearing in the army choral troupe and continued to bolster the nation's morale through many of the tough wars for the next fifty years and became known as "the Singer of the Wars." In 1967, Yarkoni was chosen to sing "Jerusalem of Gold" in front of the Western Wall after Israel recaptured the city. She traveled throughout the world singing Israel's new Hebrew songs to sell-out audiences in world venues such as New York's Carnegie Hall, the Paris Olympia and London's Palladium. In 1998, she was awarded the Israel Prize during the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the State. In 2000, a CD, "Rumania, Rumania" of Yarkoni singing Yiddish songs (with arrangements by Glenn Osser) was produced by Simon Rutberg of Hatikvah music. In 2002, after a controversial radio interview in which she opposed some political actions of the Israeli government, Yarkoni received hate mail and had her life threatened. Many of her concerts were canceled and there was a boycott called of her music. Later, such harsh attitudes by many softened, due to her great service for so many decades to the country. In 2005, nearing age 80, she sang again for the 57th anniversary of Israel, but also agreed to appear at the Vox Club for gay fans in Tel Aviv. Her show of support by agreeing to sing there was very well received among that community. To hear excerpts of Yarkoni singing in a live show from 1970 visit here.
http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/people/BIOS/yarkoni.html
Thelma Yellin
Cellist born in London in 1895 and died in Israel, 1959. In 1921 founded the Jerusalem Musical Society.
Henrietta Yurchenco
Ethnomusicologist. American. Born in Born in New Haven, Connecticut. Collected and recorded world folk music. Wrote several extensive musicological works. Pianist. Professor Emerita of The City College of New York. Has 15 recordings. A website devoted to her new memoir currently available through MRI Press published in January, 2003.
http://www.music-research-inst.org/html/pubs/yurchenco.htm
Judith Lang Zaimont
American. Born November 8, 1945. Memphis, Tennessee. Composer, musicologist, pianist, and professor. Child prodigy. Distinguished and highly celebrated for over 100 musical compositions in a variety of genres. BA Queens College,1966; Artist Master Diploma, Long Island Institute of Music, 1966; MA Columbia, 1968; Professor of Composition at the University of Minnesota School of Music since 1992. Advocate of women in music as editor-in-chief of the books, The Musical Woman: An International Perspective in 3 volumes. Composition awards include "a Guggenheim Fellowship (1983-84); Maryland State Arts Council creative fellowship (1986-87); and commission grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (1982) and American Composers Forum (1993)." Zaimont's website includes a biography, a searchable discography, searchable listing of compositions, awards and prizes, a bibliography and links to online feature articles.
http://www.jzaimont.com/
Beracha Zefira
Israeli singer. Her groundbreaking synthesis of western and oriental elements of music came to epitomize the new Israeli, a person merged from various backgrounds of both eastern and western elements. Born into a Yemenite family, around 1911 (although the date is not sure), her mother died at child birth, her father when she around 3. She was moved around to various foster homes, all of different ethnic backgrounds. In 1924 she went to Shpheia, a school with European teachers. She was trained in western music. She won a scholarlhip to study acting in Berlin in 1929. There she met the pianist Nachum Nardi and partnered with him in an "oriental" repertoire. They toured in Europe, and then in 1930, in Palestine to critical acclaim. She had western composers make arrangements of Oriental songs, and performed them widely. By the 1950s her "ethnic-fusion" was out of popularity. An excellent study of various musical elements of Beracha Zefira's music, written by Gila Flam, appeared in Asian Music, 1986, vol. 17, No. 2.
Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler
American. Born July 16, 1863 in Bielitz, Silesia. Died, August 20, 1927. Moved to US in 1867. Concert pianist, teacher. Studied piano in US and then in Vienna with Leschetizky between 1879-1883. Professionally debuted at Chicago Beethoven Society in 1884. Concertized throughout the United States, in recital and with orchestras, promoting the works of contemporary American and European composers in addition to a vast standard repertoire.
Dorothy Miriam Ziegler
American. Born July 20, 1922. Muscatine, Iowa. Died March 1, 1972. Opera conductor, vocal coach, pianist, trombonist. In 1944 became a trombonist with St. Louis Symphony. 1946, MM, piano University of Southern California. 1955-1964 conductor of St. Louis Grand Opera Guild. Also taught St. Louis Institute of Music, Washington Unversity and the University of Southern Illinois. 1964, became director of Indiana University Opera Theater. 1966-1971, director University of Miami Opera Theater.
Tziona Zilbershtein
Singer Tziona Zilbershtein lives in northern Israel. She devotes her recordings specifically for women as a religious Jew. Tziona has a lovely voice and a lot of talent. She's trained in music and dance in the United States, from classical ballet to Indonesian traditional dance, to Tai Chi. She's also a multi-instrumentalist and composer. Tziona originally performed in the improvisitory jazz style but has since moved into accessible religious songs based on liturgical and biblical texts. Among her CDs is the new Hanayni, preceded by Miriam's Drum, a superb recording of spiritual song and dance. Her focus on rhythms is evident in earlier recordings such as the CD Aleynu. Tziona's music is availble through her website:
http://koltziona.com/
Zoila
Agentinian woman presents Yiddish songs and information on her recordings.
http://www.zoila.com/frame3.html
Arianna Zukerman
Soprano. Opera and concert singer. Daughter of Pinchus and Eugenia Zukerman. Studied theater at Brown University, B.M. Julliard. Young Artist's Programmer in Munich, 1999. Appearances in US included Chicago, NY, Baltimore, Seattle and elsewhere. Also appeared at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
Esther Zweig
American. Born July 29, 1906. New York. Taught choral music in New York. Studied composition under Kurt Weill. Also attended JTS, and recieved an award in 1927. Taught children in Hebrew schools. Wrote several English language vocal works.