Public afternoon concert: Klezmer –
The Michael Kahan Kapelye

The historical roots of klezmer lie in the wedding music of Eastern European Ashkenazi, Yiddish-speaking Jewry. Its survival owes much to its move from this Old World to the New World (in the early part of the twentieth century) and the US-led klezmer revival (beginning in the 1970s). Currently, klezmer is a dynamic world genre as well as Jewish heritage music. The University ensemble is named after a prominent Manchester musician (Michael Kahan) who, much like the current and former members of MKK, performed in the classical and klezmer genres amongst others. Michael was tragically killed in 2008, and the ensemble was formed in 2011 by Ros Hawley and Richard Fay to celebrate Michael’s contribution to music in the city and to klezmer performance in particular. The ensemble is directed by Richard and MKK-alumnus Daniel Mawson who tutor each cohort.