Yiddish Folksong: Living Passions From A Jewish Past

March 3, 2025 | 5:30-6:45pm
Lehrhaus
425 Washington Street
Somerville, MA 02143USA (map)

This class will introduce students to the world of Yiddish folksong through historic and vibrant ethnographic field recordings from Eastern Europe. This class will be immersive in select musical jewels via their texts (Yiddish with English translation), music content, as well as their social context within Ashkenazic life. The class will be inclusive to all backgrounds with no need to read music necessary (but it wouldn’t hurt!). In this class, students will encouraged to embrace their inner musician, become immersed in the power of the music and sing as a group to connect to the songs!

More info here: https://www.lehr.haus/classes/yiddish-folksong-living-passions-from-a-jewish-past

Tickets here: https://www.showclix.com/tickets/yiddish-folksong-living-passions-from-a-jewish-past-9yp3htu

Music Street presents the premiere of my Duettino for Violin and Cello, a seven minute arrangement of “Children’s Song” and “Counterpoint and Chorale'“, performed by Sophia Szokolay and Alan Toda-Ambaras.

Sunday, February 23 | 7:30pm
Bemis Hall, Lincoln, MA

For more information about the work, visit here:

Duettino for Violin and Cello

Take a look & listen to my Partita for Solo Viola (2023-24) by the incomparable Jesse Morrison from my MIT concert this past October.

For more information about the work, visit here:

https://www.derekdavid.com/partita-for-solo-viola

I was selected as an artist for Byrdcliffe’s Communal Artist Residency Program at the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild and will be in Woodstock from June 28-July 23! In addition to starting on the expansive Yiddish song cycle, I will be working on some partimento projects, finishing the string quartet cycle, and prepping for another wonderful season with A Besere Velt.

Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild

In other news, I finished the last movement of my Partita for Solo Viola, written for the brilliant violist (and my friend), Jesse Morrison. The completion of the total composition comes a year after it began due to 9 months of injury, difficult loss, and an overall challenging year in my life. The story that I try to tell in this work is a sad one, but it's necessary. It is a massive weight off of my shoulders to finish..

from Partita for Viola (2024)

Lastly, I am a proud recipient of a MIT CAST (Council on Arts, Science, & Technology) Fay Chandler Creativity Grant for a concert of my music coming this fall!

As of today, I have accepted the position of permanent, full-time Lecturer at MIT. A position that comes with job security, full benefits, academic freedom, and the greatest students and colleagues in the world to work with. To say that this is a dream come true is a dramatic understatement. I am foolishly happy and it doesn't seem real. My five years as being adjunct at MIT have been some of the happiest and creative of my life, and to think that this is my future is unreal. Many thanks to my amazing colleagues who all supported me through these years. I am forever grateful.

String Quartet No. 4. “Kaddish קדיש"

In Judaism, the Mourners Kaddish is a prayer said over the dead. I originally wrote this over the COVID lockdown in 2020, inspired by personal loss. My aim was not to concretize any specific event but to capture the pain I was going through at the time. I personally can’t think of a more appropriate time to share this work, and to do so with respect to ALL of the innocent lives that have been lost in these dark and horrible times.

For more information about the work, visit here:

https://www.derekdavid.com/string-quartet-no-4

Read original newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/e546a0120a14/yiddish-dreams-and-futures?fbclid=IwAR3HCMOrq9c7M1YgwseBcbA_8bbZX4xr0H3O1jDbDA8p1zytuYjQov5BCnM

Yiddish Dreams & Futures
March 18th, 7:00pm
Kresge Auditorium

Hi friends,

Please join me for a wonderful evening with some of the finest musicians in the country! Thank you to all my collaborators, supporters, and musicians. The concert is free and will be livestreamed, but I encourage you to support the Boston Festival for New Jewish Music by purchasing a ticket. 

Yiddish Dreams & Futures

The Boston Festival for New Jewish Music presents Yiddish Dreams & Futures, a portrait concert of composer Derek David, featuring new vocal and chamber works that reflect upon Jewish identity and Yiddish culture in a contemporary landscape.

The concert, hosted by MIT Music & Theater Arts in Kresge Auditorium, will feature the full premiere of Derek’s Clarinet Quintet “Oh World, Goodnight” by Del Sol and Andrew Friedman, and the premiere of String Quartet No. 4 “Kaddish” with Verona Quartet.

Vocal works will include a performance of "Four Yiddish Folksongs" featuring Nat Seelen and Abigale Reisman of Ezekiel’s Wheels Klezmer Band, pianist Renena Gutman, and soprano Megan Jones, as well as choral works with A Besere Velt, the world’s largest Yiddish chorus.

This project is supported by a grant from the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Arts & Culture Community Impact Grant Fund. The Clarinet Quintet was co-commissioned by the Rossini Club and the Del Sol Performing Arts Organization.

Tickets and More Info

Excited to have a score follower for my String Quartet No. 1!

Other News:

• I will be working on an expansive Viola Suite for violist Jesse Morrison in the summer. This work will be featured on Jesse's album to be released near the end of the year.

• Take a look at this wonderful interview with #BFNJM

• I will be directing A Besere Velt with guest artist Daniel Kahn in the Spring.

Please stay in touch and I'm looking forward to seeing you at the concert in-person or virtually,

Derek David
www.derekdavid.com