SWINGIN’ PESSACH

Roman Grinberg has been passionately devoted to Klezmer-Jazz crossover music for many years now. A composer, pianist, singer and entertainer, he is deeply rooted in Jewish music. Always on the look-out for fresh challenges, he has been forging new connections between cultures and across generations for a long time now. His annual Swingin’ Chanukka programmes continue to delight audiences. This year he introduces his Yiddish Swing Orchestra, which was founded just last autumn. They present a new programme which offers an exciting mix of authentic klezmer, swing, and bossa nova. Michael Alexander Willens is travelling to Vienna specifically to conduct the concert. Roman Grinberg made his name as Principal Conductor of the Kölner Akademie. An interesting footnote: Michael Alexander Willens is the grandson of Alexander Olshanetsky – one of the greatest-ever composers of Yiddish musicals. Olshanetsky penned popular favourites sucn as “Mein Shtetale Belz”, “Hopkele”, “Ich hob dich zufil Lib”, and many more besides. Willens’ grandfather on the other side of his family tree was none other than Hermann Yablokoff, who wrote the smash hit “Papirossn”. Come along and hear these unforgettable melodies given the full orchestral treatment in this Vienna premiere.