Alphabetical Index to Website Entries: W
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
Ellie Wackerman, See: Ellie's Torah Trop
Kurt Weill Foundation
The Kurt Weill Foundation website includes several biographies about Weill, including a brief biography and a more extended one, a time line of his life, a discography, a catalogue of works, and a bibliography of articles by and about Weill and his music. There is also a list of popular biographies as well as dissertations on the music of Weill. The website also includes information about Lotte Lenya and her career and life, publications and new cds of Weill's music and a newsletter about foundation activities.
http://www.kwf.org/Welcome.html
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. Ms. Warshauer has composed numerous works for Jewish liturgy and on Jewish themes. She is the first recipient of the Art and Cultural Achievement Award from the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina. 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
Susana Weich-Shahak
Ethnomusicologist specializing in music of the Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews.
Kurt Weill
A time line of the life of Kurt Weill. In German.
http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/biografien/WeillKurt/
Lazar Weiner
Lazar Weiner, the first conductor of the Freiheit Gezangsverein, and a prolific composer of Yiddish art song, cantatas and choral music, came to America in 1914. He became the music director of the Central Synagogue in New York, conductor of the Workman's Circle Chorus and music director of the weekly radio program The Message of Israel. Manja Ressler has written a brief article on Weiner for a Netherlands online journal (which may becurrently one of the only pieces of biographical information on this composer on the Internet.) For more informaton on Weiner, read the English translation of Israel Rabinovitch's work: Of Jewish Music Ancient and Modern, Montreal: The Book Center, 1952.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ljg/last.html#5
Wembley Shul Choir
A temple Choir from the Wembley United Synagogue, located in Wembley, a suburb northwest of London. The site includes an interesting history of the group, a bit of philosophy on their music and audio clips of selected works.
http://www.j-geek.org/choir/index.html
The Western Wind
An a cappella group heard for a number of years on NPR for programs such as The Birthday of the World, The Chanukkah Story and The Passover Story. Along with Jewish music they have recordings on early American folk
and art music.
http://www.westernwind.org/
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?)
Jody Wixelbaum
Choral composer and arranger of synagogue music. Works with Zamir Chorale of Boston. She arranges works for the group Kol Tefilah.
Wolf Krakowski
An online review of the recording Transmigrations by Wolf Krakowski.
http://home4.swipnet.se/~w-40997/WolfEng.htm
The Workman's Circle/Arbeter Ring
"The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, dedicated to fostering Jewish identity
and participation in Jewish life, among its members through Jewish, especially
Yiddish, culture and education, friendship, mutual aid and the pursuit
of social and economic justice. The Jewish Workmen's Circle sponsors
concerts of Yiddish and other Jewish music. They also publish music, audio cassettes, films and videos with music in Yiddish and English.
http://www.circle.org/public/default.htm