• Course Dates
    March 6, 2026 6:30 pm –
    March 8, 2026 4:00 pm
  • Observer Pass
    March 7, 2026
    11:00 am - 1:00 pm

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Klezmer Weekend

with Susi Evans, Szilvia Csaranko & Flora Curzon

Delve into the wonderful world of klezmer with eminent and experienced course leaders Susi (Clarinet), Szilvia (accordion) and Flora (violin) at the helm to inspire you to explore this celebratory, soulful and melodic music from 19th-century Jewish Eastern Europe.

This is a course for everyone who plays an instrument and wants to learn about klezmer music. We welcome musicians who are new to this genre as well as those with more experience. We will have the opportunity to work in smaller groups to accommodate everybody’s wishes and expectations! You will need a good grasp of your instrument in order to participate (around grade 5 as a rough guide but grades are not required).

You will learn some great tunes and gain knowledge of the modes, ornamentation, rhythms and accompaniment that give klezmer its unique flavour. The course will mainly be taught using sheet music, but we will be encouraging learning by ear at a slow pace.

Preparation: for those wanting to get a grip of the style in advance, the course creators have published the Klezmer Playbook – a book of 50 traditional klezmer tunes with playalongs – which you can purchase here (You don’t need to buy the book in order to take part in the course).

NB: There will be two or three of the course leaders on this course, depending on participant numbers. 

Some course feedback:

Absolutely loved it! The skill of the tutors was exemplary; they were patient with us and they had the right degree of expectation of what we could achieve. They encouraged us to think more freely about how to understand what we were playing.

Read more about what participants say about Jackdaws Courses.

A £100 deposit is required to secure your place on this course. The balance of fees, including accommodation, is due 3 weeks before the course start date.

You can also buy an Observer Pass for this course. The Observer Pass entitles you to attend on SATURDAY from 11am–1pm as an observer only and costs £10. This can be redeemed against a subsequent course booking. Places are limited. More info and terms and conditions here.

Details Price Qty
Attendee - Deposit £100.00 GBP  
Observer Pass £10.00 GBP  

Venue:  

Venue Phone: 01373 812383

Address:
Jackdaws Music Education Trust, Great Elm, Frome, Somerset, BA11 3NY, United Kingdom

Description:

Course Information

Is this Course right for me?

The answer is probably yes as we welcome musicians of all abilities and backgrounds on our courses but if you would like to find out more before you book please read about our course levels, or email or call our office manager Karolyn on 01373 812 383 / music@jackdaws.org and she will be able to offer further guidance.

If you are still unsure then maybe consider one of our “Try before you buy” Observer Passes which enable you to come and see one session in action.

Full Observer places may also be bookable for a whole weekend subject to availability. Call / email the office for more information.

Please see our General Course Information pages for further details and schedule information.

Our Courses are for adult musicians (except where stated) and take place at Jackdaws in Great Elm, near Frome in Somerset. The Course Fee includes all tuition, meals and refreshments at Jackdaws. Courses take place in the main studio, with Steinway piano, and generally follow a masterclass format. There are several practice rooms here, too.

Repertoire

For Voice, Piano & Wind courses; participants are usually requested to prepare 2 – 3 pieces in advance. We will ask you to provide a repertoire list for the tutor (& accompanist) ahead of the course.

For Ensemble courses; direction will be given by the course leaders.

Accommodation

If you require B&B, we can arrange that for you; accommodation fees are payable in addition to the course fee.

Meals and Refreshments

Lunch, Supper and morning/afternoon refreshments will be prepared on site by our dedicated Cooks.  If you are vegetarian/vegan, or have a food allergy, you must let us know in advance, so that our cooks can plan the meals for the weekend accordingly. We are ‘allergy aware’, but we rely on participants letting us know if they have specific food allergies. Please also let us know if you carry any emergency medication.

By booking onto a Jackdaws course you agree to abide by our Terms and Conditions and understand the Privacy Policy regarding our handling of your data.