Michael Alpert

Michael Alpert (voice, accordion, violin, guitar, percussion) has been a pioneering figure in the current renaissance of East European Jewish klezmer music for 25 years, and is internationally known for his performances and recordings with Brave Old World, Khevrisa, Kapelye, and David Krakauer. Raised in a Yiddish-speaking family, he is considered the finest traditional Yiddish singer of his generation, and is noted for his original Yiddish songs on contemporary themes. Alpert was musical director of the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) Great Performances special "Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House" (1996 Emmy and Rose d'Or Awards) and its subsequent concert tours, and executive producer of the resulting CDs. A former research associate at New York's YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, Alpert has conducted extensive documentation of traditional Jewish music and dance in throughout North America and Europe.