“KlezmerQuerque,” Albuquerque New Mexico’s 17th Annual Festival of Klezmer Music and Dance will take place February 14-17, 2019 (Thursday-Sunday) over Presidents' Day Weekend. The four-day festival features klezmer dance and instrumental music, which is rooted in the traditional wedding ceremonies of the Eastern European Jewish people. The festival presents a wide variety of events for all ages, abilities and budgets, including a free children’s Romanian folk dance event, concerts, dance parties, Jewish religious services, and “hands-on” music and dance workshops. This year's festival theme is "Oy! Romanya! Romanya!", a celebration of Jewish, Yiddish & Romanian connections in dance, music, history & culture. Four special guest artists known for their expertise in klezmer music and traditional Romanian music and dance will be featured at all events throughout the weekend: Miamon Miller-violin, composition and ethnomusicology, Isaac Sadigursky-accordion and Yiddishe culture, and Cristian Florescu and Sonian Dion-traditional Romanian dance and Romanian–Jewish culture. KlezmerQuerque will also feature music and dance by many local klezmer artists including: The Rebbe’s Orkestra, The Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer Band, Rikud Yiddish Dancers, Alavados ensemble, Di Kavene Kapelye and Beth Cohen.

The festival begins on Thursday, February 14th (6:30-8:30pm) with a free video/movie presentation and discussion with special guest artist Miamon Miller, composer for the 2012 production of "The Blackbirds of Białystok," performed and presented in that city by the Białystok, Poland, puppet theater “Teatr Lalek,” in collaboration with the Sandglass Theater of Putney, Vermont. (Excerpt of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENCei-BtW4Y&t=28s

On Friday, February 15th the free mega-celebration begins at 6:00p.m. with a children’s and family’s dance event led by guest dance artists Cristian Florescu and Sonia Dion. At 6:30 Der Freylekher Shabes begins-a danced participatory old country-style heimishe (“homey”) Shabbat service led by Nahalat Shalom’s cantor Beth Cohen, Alavados ensemble and Rikud dancers. At 7:15 the vegetarian potluck dinner will be followed by performances of The Rebbe’s Orkestra, special guest musicians Miamon Miller and Isaac Sadigursky, and then more dancing and music by The Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer Band, Rikud, Cristian and Sonia-ending at 9:30pm. On Saturday, February 16th, 10:00am to 12:00pm, join Nahalat Shalom’s cantor Beth Cohen with Alavados ensemble for Shabes Koydesh (Holy Shabbat) Service. In the evening, the doors will open at 6:30p.m. to the music of local klezmorim Di Kavene Kapelye and at 7:00 p.m. The Rebbe’s Orkestra-klezmer & Judaic band. At 7:30 p.m., special guest musicians Isaac Sadigursky (accordion), Miamon Miller (violin) & Paul Brown (bass violin) will perform a concert of klezmer wedding tunes, Romanian dance tunes and more. From 9:00-10:00p.m. is the dance party with live music by the special guest musicians and traditional dancing led by guests Cristian Florescu and Sonia Dion with Rikud Yiddish Dancers. On Sunday, February 17th, from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. there will be four 90-minute workshop sessions in music and dance, taught by the special guest artists.

Individual event prices range from free to $25, with an all-event price of $95-senior/student and $115-general. All events take place at Nahalat Shalom: www.nahalatshalom.org
Office Admin: office@nahalatshalom.org
To purchase tickets or for more details visit the web site at: https://www.nahalatshalom.org/klezmerquerque-tickets
For more info contact KlezmerQuerque Koordinator Beth Cohen at (505) 243-6276.