Wow! 2023 was the most busy year ever. More than a
hundred concerts, private parties, weddings, community events and
celebration events!
We renovated our repertoire that now includes many new Jewish modern
songs, Israeli music and disco hits. We also have launched our new
audio/lighting service.
We also started to work on 2024 season: we will play at Jewish Festival
in Krakov and in Safed Klezmer Festival in Israel + many Jewish
weddings in Spain, Italy (Amalfi, Capri, Florence, Tuscany, Rome,
Sicily) amd Austria.
If you are planning your Jewish wedding in Italy or Spain and you want
us to bring our music, make sure to book our Band well in advance: our
calendar is filling fast!
Summer 2022
So many weddings and events this post-Covid summer and we
didn't find the time to post.
Here are some pictures from weddings we performed in Italy (Como, Rome,
Sorrento, Amalfi) and in the Iberic peninsula (Malaga, Marbella and
Gibraltar)
mm
June 2022
We had the honor to bring our music to the wedding of a lovely couple
from UK.
The wedding took place at Villa Petriolo near Florence, Tuscany. We
performed during the ceremony, officiated by the chief Rabbi of
Florence, during the aperitivo and for the Jewish Dancing during dinner.
After dinner the party continued with our DJ (DJ Marco)
Here are some videos/photos from the event.
June 2020
We just received this lovely message after we fully refunded the
deposit for a wedding in Tuscany (cancelled because of CoronaVirus
restrictions in Italy) :
Dear Amit,
Micha
has received the refund with thanks.
Perhaps
one day in the future, we will be able to plan another wedding in
Europe. If we do, you will be one of the first people we contact. We
will also refer you to any friends that plan a wedding.
Keep
well
Ryan
COVID-19 update The situation in Italy and Spain is gradually coming bak to
normal, but there are still many restrictions and big weddings and
public events are not allowed.
We are going to play for some intimate Jewish wedding ceremonies, but
most our scheduled wedding parties will not happen this summer. Many
couples are re-booking us for a new date in winter -spring-summer 2021.
Other couples decided to change plans and will get married in their
home country or with no music party.
Because of the situation we try to help all the couples to change their
wedding date with no cost or refund the deposit.
It is a very hard period for musicians in Italy, but we are sure that
we will soon be back to the stage and make people happy again with our
joyful music!
March 2020 Many scheluded performances of New Old Klezmer Band were
canceled beacuse of Coronavirus. Some couples decided to postpone
their wedding in Italy due to the current situation.
That means that we are resting now, but we are almost fully booked from
June to October.
January 2020 Most of
the weddings in Italy are from March to October, but of course the
planning starts months before. This month we have a very busy schedule
of meetings with wedding planners and with future brides and
grooms. We will visit with them the venues and decide all the details:
from technical details (stage, lights, times, contract) to the
artistic part (size of the band, instruments, songs for the ceremony,
playlist for the party, etc). After many years in the wedding business
we know how to plan the enterteinment part to make it a success. In the
next months we will write the music sheets of the new songs and we will
have a special rehearsal before each wedding.
January 2020
January 27th is the Day of Remembrance in Italy. Italy
remembers six millions Jews killed in Europe by Nazi and
Fascist.
New Old Klezmer Band will perform a special music program "Zachor" with
music from the lost world of Shtetlech. The concert will take place at
Quirinale Palace in Rome.
December 2019
Klezmer music has become very popular in Italy and we NOK band
is often invited to play not only at Jewish weddings and parties.
For New year's eve we will be playing at the central event in Rome,
broadcasted by Italian National TV.
Stay tuned!
October 2019
Birthday Party in Cortona, Tuscany - Italy
The Band was invited to play at a 40th Birthday
party in a beautiful lcation in Cortona, Tuscany. A small, initimate
party with about 25 American/Russian guests, Italian kosher food and
Kosher Chianti wine, Vodka and our music.
Russian loves old Italian songs and Italian singers like Adriano
Celentano, Toto Cutugno, Domenico Modugno, Eros Ramazzotti.
We prepared a mix of International dancing music, Jewish music, Israeli
modern songs and Italian songs.
Here are some moments from this magic evening.
Recommended Vendor
We are now a recommeded vendor of "Smashing the Glass"!! After many
many weddings' reports of happy brides, the world's number 1 Jewish
Wedding expert inlcuded NOK Band in the list of approved vendors for
Jewish weddings in Italy and Spain.
Simchat Torah
New Old Klezmer Band started this year with some
performances during Akafot Shniot. Tunes like "Vesamachta", "Moshiach"
and some more traditional and modern famous Jewish melodies were
arranged especially for Sukkah parties. We had the pleasure to play in
community and private sukkot in Milano and Rome.
Rosh Hashana 5780
Happy New Jewish Year full of Joy and music.
We want to thank all the 56 couples that hired us for their
wedding day this year. It was a pleasure to bring our music to your
special event.
And of course Happy New Year to the brides and grooms to be that
already booked us for their wedding in the next months. See you soon!!
Summer 2019
Summer is the most busy period
for musicians in Italy. Concerts, music
Festivals, weddings & other public and private events. In June,
July and August almost a hundred performances not only "under the
Tuscan sun", the sun of Umbria, Garda Lake and Maggiore lake, Apulia,
Capri, Amalfi, and also Roma, Rapallo, Portofino, Sorrento, Sardinia
and Sicily. And now ? We have been invitated to perform for the
European day of Jewish Culture in Switzerland and more weddings and
bar-mitvahs before Jewish High Holydays. Here is a selection of some
moments from last summer weddings.
Israeli
song by David Broza
L'estate e' il periodo piu'
impegnativo per i musicisti in Italia.
Concerti, Festival musicali, matrimoni ed altri eventi pubblici e
privati. Nei mesi di giugno. luglio e agosto quasi cento esibizioni
"sotto il
sole della Toscana" ma anche sotto il sole
dell' Umbria, sul Lago
Maggiore, sul Lago di Garda, nella bellissima Puglia, a Capri, Amalfi,
ma anche Roma, Rapallo, Portofino, Sorrento e nelle isole di Sardegna e
Sicilia. Ora riposo ? No! Siamo stati chiamati a suonare per la
Giornata Europea della Cultura ebraica in Svizzera e poi altri
matrimoni e bar-mitvah prima del Capodanno Ebraico. Ecco una breve
selezione di immagini e video da alcuni matrimoni della scorsa estate.
Bella
ciao
May 2019
Here are some moments from a
Wedding at Castello del Trebbio, in Tuscany.
We played a modern version of wedding march at the ceremony at the
castle, followed by Horas after the breaking of the glass.
Then we moved to a beautiful terrace with an amazing view on Fiorentine
hills and we played a mix of Jazz and International music.
Then we played Jewish music, klezmer and Italian songs during dinner.
Our DJ continued the entertainment for many hours in a Wine cellar
adapted to dance hall
Alcuni momenti da un matrimonio
ebraico in Toscana, al Castello del Trebbio.
Su richiesta degli sposi abbiamo suonato una versione moderna della
marcia nuziale di Mendelsohn, seguita da Horas subito dopo la rottura
del bicchiere come vuole la tradizione ebraica.
La Band si è poi spostata su una terrazza con vista spettacolare sulle
colline fiorentine dove ha suonato un mix di musica ebraica
tradizionale e moderna, klezmer , jazz e musica internazionale.
Poi ancora durante la cena la New Old Klezmer Band ha alternato musica
della tradizione ebraica e musica internazionale.
Gli sposi e gli ospiti, provenienti da ogni parte del mondo non hanno
resistito e si sono lasciati prendere dal ritmo della musica.
Il nostro DJ ha poi proseguito l'intrattenimento fino a tarda notte in
una cantina riadattata a pista da ballo!
Wedding planners for Jewish wedding in Italy
April 16th 2019
Wedding planners for Jewish wedding in Italy
We have been worked with the best wedding planners in Italy for
almost twenty years. When in comes to Jewish Weddings they often ask us
for advices and explanations on Jewish tradition (not only Jewish music
tradition). Italy has a very small Jewish population, but an
extraordinary rich heritage. A beutiful Jewish wedding can be enriched
not only by Italian lanscapes and cities, but also by the Jewish
Italian tradition and architecture (Italian Jewish wedding tunes,
beautiful synagogues, Jewish Italian food).
Today we had a long meeting with a top wedding planner : she is
organizing a grandious wedding event in Tuscany next summer, between
the cities of Siena and Florence. We are going to play special tunes
for the Chuppah. Stay tuned! .
April 2019
Bar Mitzvah in Florence, Tuscany
About fifteen years ago we performed at the wedding of a nice
American couple in Chianti countryside in Tuscany. They liked our music
so much and decided to come back to Italy and celebrate their son's
Bar-Mitzvah with the New Old Klezmer Band.
We performed in the beautiful Great Synagogue of Florence and during
the party in a Villa on a hill overlooking all the city.
Florence is such a wonderful place!
March
2019
Intimate Wedding in Sorrento
A spectacular view of Sorrento Peninsula, Naples and Capri
Island; a magnificent Chuppah. Delicious Italian food. A beautiful
groom with a gorgeous bride. And the music of New Old Klezmer Band!
We played the song Mehera for groom's entrance, Boi Kallah for bride's
entrance. Eshet Chail song for the seven circles and the classic tune
Siman Tov & Mazal tov for the breaking of the glass.
And why not, some Jazz, Bossa and Italian music during aperitif.
February 2019
Wedding music Band during Winter time
Winter is the best time for a Wedding music Band to work
on its repertoire. Our Band is super busy in summer, performing almost
every day. During winter the New Old Klezmer Band perform mainly in
concert halls, music festivals and public events and less in private
parties. That's the best time for us to renovate our repertoire,
compose new music arrangements and rehearse new songs and new shows.
We have a loooong list of songs requested by grooms and brides to be
(first dance songs, special Jewish tunes for ceremonies, and more...).
Our calendar for the Italian Wedding season is almost fully booked.
Summer 2019 will bring us to the Italian islands of Sardinia and
Sicily, Dolomiti (Cortina), Tuscany (Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Grosseto,
Cortona), South Italy: Apulia (Fasano, Monopoli), Amalfi, Capri,
Salerno, Naples, Positano, Sorrento, Ischia. North Italy: Liguria,
Italian riviera, Genoa, Portofino, Rapallo, Cinque Terre, Maggiore
Lake, Como, Venice, Alpi (Monte Rosa and Mount Blanc) and of course
many weddings in the city of Rome and in Rome countryside.
January 27th, 2019
Remembrance Day Concert
Concert of Jewish Music in Pistoia, Tuscany.
http://www.cultura.comune.pistoia.it/?ai1ec_event=musiche-della-memoria
L'Italia ricorda il 27 gennaio lo sterminio del popolo ebraico.
La New Old Klezmer Band, e' stata invitata con una formazione ridotta,
a ricordare in musica le vittime della Shoah.
Il programma musicale e' stato scelto con cura. Non solo musiche della
Memoria e brani scritti durante gli anni buii delle persecuzioni, ma
anche musiche di festa che animavano matrimoni e momenti di gioia per
ricordare la vitalita' delle comunita' ebraiche della diaspora europea
annientate dalla barbarie nazi-fascista.
January 2019
Not only Jewish wedding in Italy .... Big Greek / Jewish wedding
The New Old Klezmer Band was invited to play at the Yiddish
Marathon in Greece.
We had the honor to be part of Yiddish culture celebration in Sounio,
an hour drive south from Athens. A week of Yiddish lecture and Yiddish
music performances.
And the special part was a traditional Jewish wedding of a special
couple. We played for the Chuppah ceremony celebrated in Yiddish /
Hebrew by the local Chabad Rabbi and for the dances.
It wasn't our first time in Greece (we performed many times in Corfu,
Santorini, Athens, Salonicco, Mykonos...), but it was very
exciting to meet special people and jam with some great American
klezmer musicians.
Here is a video clip from this Big Fat Klezmer / Jewish Greek wedding :
October 2018
Simchat Torah performance and
more weddings
A very busy new year started for the New Old Klezmer Band.
The Band was invited to play for the Jewish Community Center in Milan.
Simchat Torah, Akafot and happy music celebrating the beginning of a
new Torah cicle.
Then more Jewish weddings in Rome, Florence, Portofino, Capri and
Amalfi coast.
Here are some clips from a Jewish wedding in a Castle in Rome
countryside. The couple requested special songs for the Chuppah
ceremony and for their first dance. We could't say no....
September
2018
Summer is almost over, but our Big Tour is not over.
We start with a concert at klezmer Festival in Bologna (Sept. 1st) and
then a performance almost every day until Rosh Hashana.
See you next Jewish year 5779. Shana Tovah!
A
Jewish Wedding in Venice is always special. Venice is the city where
the first Ghetto was born. Today the Jewish Community in Venice is very
small with a few hundred Jews left in the city.
The Chuppah ceremony was in Palladio Palace on Giudecca Island. The
bride and the groom liked very much the idea of Italian music for the
processional and especially Morricone's music from Nuovo Cinema
Paradiso movie.
Here is a video of the Chuppah with our duo violin and piano playing
this beautiful soundtrack:
Here is another video from the first dance song with our wonderful
singer Lucia
-------------------
April 18 - 2018
A Pronovias Bride for an Elegant
Outdoor Destination Jewish Wedding at Villa Grabau, Lucca, Tuscany,
Italy
New Old Klezmer Band is on Smashing the Glass !!
Today we got this message regarding a wedding we played at last summer
in Tuscany,
Italy
"We
just wanted to let you know that your amazing music (and a glowing
report by the Bride & Groom!) features on http://www.smashingtheglass.com/ the world’s
biggest Jewish wedding blog"
After a little break we are on tour again: in the next weeks we will be
touring Europe and Israel: Jewish music and klezmer concerts in
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Prague, Zurich, Vienna and of course Jewish
weddings in Italy (Ravello, Florence, Tuscany, Rome, Venice, Lago di
Garda). Our string Ensemble will also play at a Chuppah in Amalfi and
our Big Band will perform Jewish Music & International music at an
exclusive event in Sorrento.
---------------------------
March 2018
Jewish Wedding music Award
The New Old Klezmer Band has been awarded with the Jewish Wedding music
Award by the Italian Wedding Planners Organization.
We are very proud of this award. We will continue to bring the joy of
Jewish Music in weddings and events all over Italy.
My Klezmer Italian Wedding by David Rosenblum
I’ve been asking the New Old Klezmer Band to play my wedding for the
past decade, since long before I met my wife, Deborah. I’d seen them at
least 20 times previously, including one fake wedding and one real
wedding. Last month, my dream came true: New Old Klezmer Band played
our wedding!
New Old Klezmer played a varied set that was great whether the tempo
was fast or slow, the songs familiar or unfamiliar, the language
English, Yiddish, or other. They performed with tremendous energy and
charisma. Clarinettist Amit was a masterful showman, engaging with the
crowd and giving off a vibe more reminiscent of a concert than a
typical wedding. Accordionist Danielle Galli drew compliments from our
guests for her beautiful voice. At different times, Kevin’s violin,
Giovanni’s guitar, and Andrea’s trombone stood out and shined
exceptionally. The rhythm section of Ferdinando on bass and Guido on
drums was superb. Especially looking back at the video, wedding guests
from all generations were dancing and having a blast.
There were myriad musical highlights. The epic 16-minute hora rocked
hard, and I couldn’t get parts of it out of my head during the
honeymoon. A cover of the Ramones‘ “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” (while the
mezinke was still going on!) garnered enthusiastic dancing. A cover of
Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” invited air guitar. New Old Klezmer did
a fantastic job with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” (first dance) and
“Sunrise Sunset” (the father/daughter and mother/son dance). It was
surreal hearing songs I love from NOK’s non-wedding oeuvre at my
wedding. When Tamara and I were walking around mingling and all of a
sudden I heard “Odessa” or “Freydele,” I insisted we run to the dance
floor. The frenzied “Meat Street” generated a spontaneous, exhilarating
mini-hora with friends.
Now I have to wonder how many of our friends are dreaming of having
N. O. K. Band at their wedding despite not having found that special
someone
yet. I highly recommend New Old Klezmer to any couple looking for a
wedding band!
This was the summer of Jewish farm weddings. Farms all over Chianti
and Tuscany. Farms with animals, farms with agriculture. Working farms,
farms that function just as event venues. Every farm was beautiful,
from the hills of Florence to the woods of Pratomagno, to the sprawling
vista of the Mediterranean sea. The drives were intense and heels got
ruined in the grass. Nonetheless, the chuppah against those stunning
backgrounds in the fresh air caught our Italian breath again and again.
We love city weddings, but farm weddings are something special. No
one leaves early to beat the traffic home. People dance the night away,
knowing that tomorrow and perhaps the next day, they’ll still be there.
Somehow the parties feel wilder and the sound of the 7 blessings
against the huge blue sky just spectacular.
There were several inches of mud around the tent to sink into at one
farm. At another there was no rain alternative for a ceremony in a wide
open field. We all just stood under umbrellas until, magically, the sun
came out only half an hour off schedule. We had extra cred with the
farm owner near Siena since local god Angelo Lox guested on our
album, Colline.
In Tuscany, they served ribollita and schiacciate all'uva during the
cocktail hour, with shot glasses lined up on skis. In the Valdorcia, an
orthodox rabbi lay tefillin on guests’ arms on the farmhouse porch in
the pre-ceremony sunset.
Our sound team travelled to all these venues, making us sound great
and lighting us dramatically in the night. It felt good to play our
music, from the traditional procession to the chuppah to the
Gogo's tune, to Talking Heads’ “Burning
Down the House” as a bonfire blazed before us.
After all, rocking the farmland is what klezmer musicians have
always done.
