About the London Klezmer Quartet
“Dynamic and authentic” — Time Out
The London Klezmer Quartet consists of four artists who are at home in klezmer, the soulful festive music of 19th century Eastern European Jews. Their acclaimed, entertaining performances captivate audiences of all ages and walks of life. Playing traditional Jewish wedding tunes, Yiddish folk songs from Eastern Europe and some of the greatest hits from the golden age of Yiddish theatre, audiences are guaranteed a rollercoaster of emotions. >>Read more
The History
The LKQ was founded in 2009 by four klezmer experts who wanted to explore the almost lost wedding music of the Jews of Eastern Europe. The band has not only toured the UK and Europe (Germany, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Latvia, Luxembourg), but has also toured Australia and New Zealand six times and played concerts in Brazil. >> Read more
Recordings
The LKQ has released four highly acclaimed studio albums. The London Evening Standard describes the LKQ as "one of the best bands playing klezmer in Britain". Songlines Magazine writes: "Expert musicians ... A fantastic smorgasbord of nostalgic reveries." The Sunday Times is reassuring: "The tradition is in good hands." And fROOTS Magazine describes the LKQ as "a band at the creative forefront of the European klezmer revival." >> Listen
From the Baltics to the Black Sea
The Musicians
Indra Buraczewska – voice & double bass
(Dunika, Latvia)
Originally trained as a classical violinist at the Victorian College of the Arts in Australia, Indra later found her true voice on the double bass, performing across genres from pop and Balkan to jazz and funk. She joined the London Klezmer Quartet after meeting the group on their first Australian tour in 2012, and features on three of their four albums as both bassist and singer. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, her vocal performances are legendary:
"When Buraczewska sings, her rich, unique contralto resonates with an incredible amount of earthy, poignant melancholy as well as an irrepressible joie de vivre."
Indra lives in Dunika, a small village in southwest Latvia.
Susi Evans – clarinet
(London, UK / Hannover, Germany)
Susi trained at the Royal Academy of Music as well as studying in Istanbul with Selim Sesler and at the Plovdiv Academy of Music in Bulgaria. Her klezmer career began in 2001 founding the UK band She'Koyokh, and has taken her to the most prestigious concert halls in Europe and as a soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Susi was declared "the Queen of Klezmer Clarinet" by the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain and has been Head of Faculty for Klezfest London.
Flora Curzon – violin & voice
(London, UK)
Flora is an award-winning violinist based in London. Her klezmer journey started in 2010 and she has since performed internationally with critically acclaimed duo Fran & Flora, London Klezmer Quartet and International Klezmer Collective. Flora also plays classical music, experimental music and works collaboratively in theatre/dance contexts. Recordings include Precious Collection / Unfurl (Fran & Flora, 2024 / 2019) and Hold Still Liminal (2023). She trained at the Royal Academy of Music.
Szilvia Csaranko – accordion
(Hannover, Germany)
Szilvia was born in Budapest and comes from a family of Hungarian musicians. She began her training as a classical pianist and discovered her love for the accordion when she began exploring Eastern European folk music and klezmer in search of her own musical roots. She is Musical Director of the 80-piece Klezmer Orchester Erfurt and has taught and performed at leading festivals including Yiddish New York, KlezKanada, Yiddish Summer Weimar and Klezfest London. Szilvia lives in Hanover and travels with numerous ensembles in Germany, Great Britain and throughout Europe and is one of the few accordionists specialising in traditional Yiddish music. Szilvia has been playing regularly with the London Klezmer Quartet since 2016.
www.shades-of-folk.com
