YIVO Hosts Distinguished Clarinetist Andrzej Ciepliński for a Concert of Jewish Clarinet Masterworks

(New York, NY) – On Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 7:00pm (ET), the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research will host distinguished Warsaw-based clarinetist Andrzej Ciepliński for a rare American recital performing Jewish classical music masterworks. The concert will take place at YIVO (located in the Center for Jewish History building at 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY). It will also be available to view on Zoom.

The program will feature Alexander Krein's two suites of "Jewish Sketches" for Clarinet and String Quartet, inspired by Yiddish folksong and Klezmer music, and Joseph Achron's Kindersuite, a collection of character pieces inspired by Hebrew cantillation for clarinet, string quartet, and piano. Both Krein and Achron are composers affiliated with the Society for Jewish Folk Music.

The program will also feature a new work by Alex Weiser, YIVO's Director of Public Programs, and selections from Ciepliński's Limanowa project which features recently discovered pre-Holocaust Jewish music found in a small town in Southern Poland. The program will conclude with Russian composer, pianist, and conductor Sergei Prokofiev's beloved Overture on Hebrew Themes.

"Ciepliński's late grandmother Irena Pietrachowicz (Ina Kalanter), was a piano prodigy and a Holocaust survivor from Warsaw, and this concert is an exciting inflection point in Ciepliński's personal journey to develop a musical practice that celebrates his heritage," said Weiser. "We have been delighted to host Ciepliński during his research fellowship with the Kosciusko Foundation which provides educational and cultural exchanges between the U.S. and Poland. As part of this fellowship Ciepliński works in the YIVO archives and receives mentorship from world-renowned clarinetist David Krakuer."

"My time at YIVO has been an opportunity to learn about my family history and musical journey through the Jewish musical world. YIVO's resources are an amazing source of knowledge and inspiration for further musical and personal development," said Ciepliński.

Ciepliński will be joined by cellist Julian Schwarz, pianist Marika Bournaki, violinists Peter Sirotin and Daniel Kurganov, and violist Colin Brookes.

This concert is co-sponsored by the American Society for Jewish Music and Polish Cultural Institute New York. It is part of the Sidney Krum Young Artists Concert Series, which is made possible by a generous gift from the Estate of Sidney Krum.

YIVO Events:

What:            Andrzej Ciepliński Plays Jewish Clarinet Masterworks
When:           Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 7:00pm ET
Where:          Taking Place on Zoom and in person at YIVO, Located in the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011)
Cost:              Free
Reservations Available at:  yivo.org/Andrzej-Cieplinski

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

For more information contact:
Shelly Freeman
Chief of Staff

YIVO

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, now in its Centennial year, is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East European Jewry worldwide. For a century, YIVO has pioneered new forms of Jewish scholarship, research, education, and cultural expression. Our public programs and exhibitions, as well as online and on-site courses, extend our outreach to a global community. The YIVO Archives contains 24 million unique items and YIVO’s Library has over 400,000 volumes—the single largest resource for the study of East European Jewish life in the world. yivo.org / yivo.org/the-whole-story