The 19th Singer Warsaw Festival of Jewish Culture has been held from 27 August to 4 September. As in previous years, the Festival’s programme will include many interesting events in music, theatre, film and literature.

The festival traditionally opened with a cantorial concert at the Nożyk Synagogue, the last and only of Warsaw’s synagogues to not only survive World War II, but still operate to this day, on Sunday, 28 August. Outstanding cantors of the young generation from Israel, Nachman Turgeman and Netanel Olivisky, performed in Poland for the first time.

For the first time, the Festival will also feature Israeli singer Yasmin Levy, considered one of the most interesting and talented artists in world music. She will make the finale at the Grand Theatre – National Opera. This year, Klezmer Night will return to Parade Square, artistically hosted by KOMMUNA LUX – Klezmer & Odessa Gang-sta Folk from Ukraine.

This year, in addition to events that will draw on the unique atmosphere of the Nożyk Synagogue, there will also be jazz and chamber music concerts. During the opening jazz part of the festival, the Oleś Brothers & Dominik Strycharski ensemble will present their new project “KOPTYCUS”. This year’s classical concert “Webern, Wajn-berg, Mahler – reflections” will be presented by Marcin Zdunik and the Harmonium Duo, i.e. Hubert Giziewski & Iwo Jedynecki. The BASTARD Trio, comprising Paweł Szamburski (clarinet), Tomasz Pokrzywiński (cello) and Michał Górczyński (double bass clarinet), will present mystical Jewish songs without words – Hasidic Niguns.

The Jewish Theatre invited Frank London, the famous American composer and trumpeter, Grammy award winner, and Eleanor Reissa, an American actress and singer who performs a repertoire of Yiddish and Jewish songs will be special guests at this year’s Festival.

Adrian Andrzejewski