Paris to Kyiv Breaks Musical Boundaries With New Project

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The musical traditions of two peoples - Ukrainian and Eastern European Jewish are coming together in a riveting intercultural presentation by two extraordinary musical ensembles on October 2. Created and performed by Paris to Kyiv and Brave Old World, the event - titled Night Songs From A Neighbouring Village - has been acclaimed for its originality as well as its remarkable musical expression reflecting the souls of two cultures with overlapping histories.

Night Songs is the unique creation of Paris To Kyiv's Alexis Kochan and Brave Old World's Michael Alpert and Alan Bern. Its inspiration was a poem by the Ukrainian-Yiddish poet, Herts Rivkin. The production was originally commissioned in 1995 by the Jewish Museum in New York. It was subsequently presented in several major centres including Berlin (1996), the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto (1997), the World Music Institute in New York (1999), and at the John Anson Ford Theater in Los Angeles (2000).

New York-based Brave Old World, leaders in the revival of this unique form of Jewish secular music, was hailed as the "klezmer supergroup" by the Washington Post. Winnipegs Paris To Kyiv has recently returned from a groundbreaking tour of Eastern Europe including major stages in Serbia, Poland and Ukraine. Kochan, the ensemble's leader delights in breaking down stereotypes of Ukrainian music.

Night Songs From A Neighbouring Village will be at the Pantages Playhouse on Thursday, October 2. For more information on the concert and Paris to Kyiv, please visit www.olesia.com. To find out more about Brave Old World, please visit www.braveoldworld.com.

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