Giora Feidman

Roots and Artistic Path

Born in Argentina in 1936 to Jewish immigrant parents, Giora Feidman’s youth was shaped by the distinctly Jewish musical tradition of klezmer. He comes from a family of klezmorim and continues this tradition in the fourth generation. Around 1905, Feidman’s parents emigrated to South America in response to the rising pogroms against Jews. His father was his first teacher.

After completing a classical musical education, Giora Feidman was admitted at the age of 18 to the orchestra of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Two years later, he was appointed the youngest clarinettist in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. During almost two decades with the orchestra, he worked with all the leading conductors of his time. It was during this period that Feidman developed his understanding of music as the “language of the innermost soul” – a means of communication capable of transcending all boundaries.

King of Klezmer

In the early 1970s, Feidman left the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and, with his musical message, initiated the worldwide renaissance of the ancient klezmer tradition, enriched by the diverse styles of classical and contemporary music. From New York, where he was celebrated as the “King of Klezmer”, he paved the way for the “Jewish soul” onto the classical concert stage, offering audiences not only a deeply personal interpretation of klezmer, but a boundless homage to life itself.

Collaborations

At the same time, Giora Feidman has remained true to his musical roots. Performances with numerous renowned orchestras and ensembles – including the Kronos Quartet and the Polish Chamber Philharmonic – have marked his career, alongside CD recordings with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Chamber Philharmonic. In 2001, he accepted an invitation from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to appear as soloist in the musica viva series, taking part in the world premiere of a work by Magret Wolf. A tour with the Munich Radio Orchestra in July 2002 culminated in an event long anticipated by the musical world: Giora Feidman performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto.

Beyond the concert platform, the stage has also played a central role. In Germany, Feidman’s extraordinary success began in 1984 with his appearance in Peter Zadek’s now legendary production Ghetto. His ability to lend his clarinet almost theatrical qualities continued in the operas Der Rattenfänger (Dortmund) and Lilith (Bayreuth, 1996), as well as in the stage play Meschugge vor Hoffnung at the Hamburg Kammerspiele. International film projects further expanded his artistic reach.

In the early 1990s, Giora Feidman accepted an invitation from Steven Spielberg and, together with Itzhak Perlman, recorded the Oscar-winning music for Schindler’s List. He also made a prominent guest appearance in the acclaimed film Beyond Silence, as well as in the film about the lives of the Comedian Harmonists.

In 1995, he caused a sensation with his new score for the silent-film classic Golem, followed in 2005 by Nothing But Music, a staged work in ten poetic tableaux.

Through all these projects, Giora Feidman has become an ambassador who builds bridges between peoples and cultures. Remaining a modest man who avoids grand words and prefers to let his clarinet speak, he is frequently invited to perform on special occasions. In January 2000, during the commemorative ceremony for the millions of victims of National Socialism, he gave the world premiere of Ora Bat Chaim’s composition Love in the plenary chamber of the German Bundestag, together with members of the Berlin Philharmonic. In August 2005, Pope Benedict XVI invited him to perform at the vigil of World Youth Day in Cologne – before an audience of more than 800,000 people.

Recognition

Today, the virtuoso Giora Feidman is a figure of contemporary history. In 2001, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in Berlin, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to reconciliation between Germans and Jews.