Trumbull Library To Host Performance By CT's Largest Klezmer Ensemble

TRUMBULL, CT — The Trumbull Library invites the community to enjoy an afternoon of joyful music and cultural discovery with The Nu Haven Kapelye, Connecticut's largest klezmer ensemble, early next month.

According to a news release provided by the library, the performance will take place Jan. 11 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Community Room at the Trumbull Library Main Branch, located at 33 Quality Street.

The program is free to attend, however registration is requested.

The family-friendly concert will introduce audiences to the rich and expressive world of klezmer music, which grew out of Eastern European Jewish celebrations and continues to resonate around the world today, according to the library.

Klezmer music is known for its emotional range, from joyful dance rhythms and lively melodies to soulful and reflective passages. During the program, the musicians of The Nu Haven Kapelye will help listeners connect the music they hear with the communities and traditions that shaped it, according to the library.

Guests will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of repertoire, including traditional klezmer dance tunes, Yiddish folk songs and newer arrangements that reflect the style’s ongoing evolution, according to the library.

In addition to the music itself, the ensemble will share the story of klezmer as a living cultural tradition. The program will explore how klezmer developed in small Jewish villages and towns, how it traveled with immigrants to the United States, and how it has been rediscovered and revitalized by musicians and audiences in recent decades, according to the library.

Listeners will also learn about the wide variety of instruments that bring klezmer music to life, such as clarinet, violin, brass, accordion, percussion, and bass, and how each contributes to the distinct sound, rhythm, and spirit of the genre, according to the library.

The Nu Haven Kapelye is a vibrant, multi-generational klezmer ensemble based in the New Haven.

Since its formation in 1998, the kapelye (a Yiddish word-meaning a group of musicians) has made it its mission to preserve, reinterpret and celebrate the rich heritage of Eastern European Jewish celebratory music while while infusing it with fresh energy, big-band influence, jazz, rhythm & blues and community collaboration, according to the library.

Further information about the Kapelye is available here.