The KlezMeydlech

The KlezMeydlech is a trio of women who vocally and instrumentally  perform both traditional klezmer and Yiddish songs as well as Jewish  music with a modern flare, incorporating creative arrangements with  international and American influences.  This program will include  klezmer and Yiddish favorites, pieces from Jewish Spain and the Middle  East as well as music inspired by Jewish American composers.

Shirlee Todd is the vocalist and leader of The KlezMeydlech. For  Shirlee music and language go hand in hand. She comes from a bilingual  home where both English and Yiddish were spoken and she has been   performing in those languages since childhood. She also performs in  Spanish which she speaks fluently, in Ladino (judeo espanol) and  Russian. She co-founded Jazmer, a Jewish-American band, in 1995 with  Jazmer's clarinetist Don Jacobs and it has been a favorite of Yivo  audiences. Shirley also enjoys singing the standards of some of our  greatest American composers and the music of Broadway.

Irina Kaufman, the violinist of The KlezMeydlech, is from Belorussia  and she received her MA from the Conservatory of Minsk. Irina toured  with various Belorussian orchestras across Eastern and Western Europe.  She immigrated to the U.S. in 1995 and performed with a number of bands  here in the U.S. as well as forming her own, The Irina Kaufman  Orchestra. In addition to performing, she teaches violin, piano and  vocal education.

Gail Mangurten is the pianist of The KlezMeydlech and she has played  in various bands and ensembles including Jazmer, which was led by  Shirlee Todd, the vocalist of the KlezMeydlech. Gail is a versatile  performer who is as comfortable playing Jewish music as she is playing  American music in a variety of styles. Due to her versatility, she is in  demand as an accompanist for both musical and theatrical productions.  Gail also teaches privately and at Cappelli Institute of Music in Oak  Park.