About the London Klezmer Quartet

The London Klezmer Quartet is a dynamic group of performers whose deep understanding of klezmer, the celebratory and soulful music of Eastern European Jews, is reflected in exuberant, passionate and accomplished performances that captivate audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

The group plays old and new traditional material guaranteed to move audiences from toe-tapping to tears and back again in moments.

Background
LKQ was formed in 2009 by a group of klezmer specialists keen to explore the almost-lost wedding music tradition of Jewish eastern Europe. The band was swiftly picked up by some of the UK’s foremost folk & world music promoters - Songlines Magazine, Continental Drifts and The Magpie’s Nest offered stages for the group's unique combination of artistry and exuberance. The band is also one of the few in the world who lead the Yiddish dances that this music would traditionally have accompanied.

UK venues
UK venues the London Klezmer Quartet has appeared in include Cafe Oto, the Green Note, Kings Place, Rich Mix, Southbank Centre, Victoria & Albert Museum, the Vortex Jazz Club and Wales Milliennium Centre. Festivals include Blysh Festival, Kings Place Festival, Klezfest, Songlines Festival, and Women of the World Festival. LKQ has also been part of UK rural touring schemes in Dorset, Gloucestershire, the north of England and Wales.

International appearances
The band has opened Jewish music festivals in Sao Paolo Brazil (Kleztival), Gelsenkirchen and Munich (Germany). They have also played at Jewish music festivals in Norway and Sweden. In the course of six tours, LKQ played to packed houses around Australia, headlining at the National Folk Festival in Canberra two years running and at other festivals including the Blue Mountains Music Festival, Fairbridge Music Festival, Illawarra Folk Festival and Port Fairy Folk Festival. LKQ has also performed in Belgium, Finland, Holland, Latvia, Luxembourg, New Zealand.

Charity work
The band performs regularly for charity with 'Music in Hospitals and Care Homes', Jewish Care, and Breathe Arts Health Research.

More about LKQ's concerts.

Recordings
LKQ has released four well-reviewed CDs (read reviews). According to the London Evening Standard, the album confirms LKQ as "One of the best bands in the UK playing klezmer music". Songlines magazine said of the CD: "Expert players... A fantastic collection of nostalgic reveries." The Sunday Times has said: “The tradition is safe in their hands,” and FRoots magazine calls LKQ: "a band at the creative forefront of the European klezmer revival".

Collaborations
The band has collaborated with Senegalese kora player Kadialy Kouyaté, Lorin Sklamberg of the Klezmatics, and Brazil's Nicole Borger. LKQ worked with Joanne Borts (US) and Shura Lipovsky (Netherlands) at Kleztival, Brazil.

Other work
Band members are also in demand on various world and other music stages, recording & touring with The Indigo Girls (US), Sinead O’Connor (Ireland), Natacha Atlas (Egypt), She’Koyokh (UK), and Ahmed Mukhtar (Iraq).

“Four of Europe's most talented klezmer musicians. They bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and excitement to their performances." Frank London, the Klezmatics. More quotes & reviews