MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — The Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Penn State Harrisburg will present an afternoon of music and storytelling by Yiddish folk artist Susan Leviton at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the Olmsted Building Gallery Lounge (Room W107). Leviton will perform historical and contemporary Yiddish songs interwoven with folk tales.
Susan Leviton will perform historical and contemporary Yiddish songs interwoven with folk tales at Penn State Harrisburg on Feb. 19
Known as a masterful calligrapher, designer and papercut artist, as well as a singer of Yiddish songs, Leviton’s joyful embrace of Yiddish arts is matched only by her enthusiasm in sharing that joy. She continually breaks new ground in the desire to uncover historic and contemporary Yiddish songs and bring them into the 21st century.
Leviton has brought Yiddish song to stages as varied as the main stage at the Philadelphia Folk Festival to Klezfest in Yvpatoria, Crimea. She has spent years performing for Workmen’s Circle, KlezKamp, the National Yiddish Book Center, and universities and communities across the country. Among the accompanists and artists with whom she has worked are Zalmen Mlotek, with whom she has performed since 1997; Jeff Warschauer and Deborah Strauss; Michael Winograd; Pete Sokolow; Joyce Rozensweig; and the Klezmatics. Her newest endeavor is the trio “Tsoyber” (Magic!) — three women performing in 10 different languages with piano, clarinet, accordion and voices.
Leviton has created and collaborated on several recordings and performs both as a solo artist and with a number of fine musicians and bands. She travels the country as an artist in residence bringing her visual and musical arts programming to all ages and all venues.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Neil Leifert, adjunct professor of Holocaust studies and director of the Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies, at 717-580-2954 or [email protected].
