Student ensembles will share the stage to feature "Old Time" and Klezmer music.
The Old-Time String Band Ensemble performs traditional music of rural America. Old-Time is a genre of music that has roots in very old traditional music cultures. It is as much African-American in nature as it is Scots-Irish. This ensemble will delve into the exciting old-time sub-genres of Appalachian fiddle and banjo music, Mid-West fiddle tunes, North Carolina and Georgia string band music, Cajun/Creole fiddle, traditional bluegrass, country blues and jug band music to name a few. This is the early country music of America in its crooked, colorful, droney, funky, lonesome, soulful, danceable, and back porch glory.
The Klezmer Music Ensemble focuses on the performance and style of the Klezmer musical traditions. The ensemble learns from active listening and imitation of a vast array of recordings beginning with pre-WWII European and American Golden Age klezmer, continuing into the klezmer revival and subsequent renaissance of the Seventies, and concluding with more contemporary experimental recordings. Repertoire from the Yiddish Theatre and other Jewish Eastern European traditions such as niggunim [wordless songs] will also be explored. In addition to performing, students will be introduced to key concepts in Jewish culture and history, giving context to the music.
The 66th Annual Spring Festival of World Music
Continuing a tradition begun in 1960, the Department of Ethnomusicology draws on its incredible collection of world musical instruments to present its annual Spring Festival of World Music. It's an opportunity for student ensembles to perform and share traditional musics from around the world as they master their instruments. The 2025 festival concert dates run from May 4 to June 7. The festival is free and open to the public. All concerts are in Schoenberg Hall and Lani Hall. We look forward to welcoming you to The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music for our storied Spring Festival of World Music. Click Here to Learn More about the Festival