“What a Jewish sound!” How often we hear this to describe a violin performance.  But what does it mean to create a “Jewish” sound on the violin? And must a musician be Jewish to have this quality? Cookie Segelstein will explore the many elements that contribute to the Jewish style of playing by examining characteristics of Ashkenazi Jewish culture: the humor, the physical gestures associated with Jewish expression, and the evocative sound of spoken Yiddish.  Using historical recordings, interviews, and her own virtuoso playing, she will explore this familiar but unexplainable sound.
 
Cookie Segelstein received her master’s degree in viola from The Yale School of Music. She is the founder and director of the Klezmer group Veretski Pass, a member of the groups Budowitz and The Youngers of Zion, and has performed with other groups, including The Klezmatics and The Klezmer Conservatory Band. She is principal violist in Orchestra New England and assistant principal in The New Haven Symphony Orchestra. She is also the publisher of the Klezmer transcriptions series The Music of….
 
Co-presented by the 27^th Jewish Music Festival and KlezCalifornia