Exile: Music of the Early-Modern Jewish Diaspora

EXILE highlights Jewish music as it shifted and melded with traditions in early modern Europe. The program takes as its starting point the rich musical cultures fostered by Jews in early modern Italy and their points of contact with non-Jewish traditions. From there, it touches on the influences of Italian, German, and English music and Jewish culture, highlighting Jewish musicians, the non-Jewish composers they influenced, and composers who inspired innovations in Jewish composition. The purpose of the EXILE project is to highlight the mutual influences of the early modern European Jewish experience – to break down preconceptions of Jewish music and culture and explore the implications of diaspora on Jewish artistic legacy.

The concert will feature Incantare’s core instrumental ensemble plus four singer specialists, as well as special guests Dongmyung Ahn, violin, and Rebecca Cypess, organ and harpsichord. The program It is closely tied with the forthcoming book Music and Jewish Culture in Early Modern Italy. This book “demonstrates that musical culture was fluid and shared between Jews and non-Jews, and that this shared cultural space involved complexities of identity and meaning.” The concert will contain narration and commentary on the music by author contributors.

Ticket Info: Free; reservations required at JewishMusicForum.org