For forty years, The Klezmatics have stood at the forefront of global music — blending Yiddish soul with punk,
gospel, jazz, and folk to create songs that are joyful, defiant, and profoundly human. The only klezmer band ever to
win a Grammy, they have toured five continents and inspired generations with their fearless mix of tradition and
rebellion.
As they enter their 40th anniversary, The Klezmatics unveil We Were Made for These Times — a bold new album and
touring season connecting their activist roots with today’s global stories. From reimagined classics to cross-cultural
collaborations and seasonal celebrations, the 2026–27 season honors a legacy built on rhythm, justice, and
unshakable joy.

Born in New York’s East Village in 1986, The Klezmatics transformed klezmer into a living, contemporary art form —
full of spirit, wit, and unstoppable groove. Their music blends ecstatic dance rhythms and poetic Yiddish lyrics with
the edge of urban life, bridging spirituality and subversion with unmatched virtuosity.
They have collaborated with Itzhak Perlman, Chava Alberstein, Arlo Guthrie, Sofía Rei, Janis Siegel, Enver Izmaylov,
Joshua Nelson, playwright Tony Kushner, and poet Allen Ginsberg. Their work spans theatre, dance, film, and
television — from A Dybbuk and Pilobolus Dance Theatre to PBS Great Performances and HBO’s Sex and the City.
Audiences worldwide continue to encounter the band through their widely shared KEXP session and NPR Tiny Desk
performance, both capturing their ecstatic live energy.

We Were Made for These Times is The Klezmatics’ boldest artistic statement in years — a sweeping musical
response to a world in flux, rooted in Yiddish expression and driven by the band’s long-standing commitment to
justice, resilience, and community. Exploring migration, exile, solidarity, and belonging through a modern klezmer
lens, the album creates a soundscape grounded in tradition yet unmistakably of the present moment.

For nearly four decades, The Klezmatics have built one of the most distinguished touring legacies in global roots
music. They have performed and sold out major halls and festivals across more than twenty countries, including
Town Hall, Disney Hall, Carnegie Hall, WOMAD, Colours of Ostrava, Pohoda, Yiddish Summer Weimar, Central Park
SummerStage, Pirineos Sur, and Yidstock.
In 2025, the band delivered nearly fifty concerts across North America and Europe, culminating in one of the most
attended showcases of WOMEX 2025 and a widely acclaimed US Hanukkah Tour that reaffirmed their
cross-generational appeal.
As they enter their 40th-anniversary cycle, The Klezmatics offer a dynamic 2026–27 touring season: We Were Made
for These Times, a new-album concert featuring multilingual repertoire and global collaborations; Best of 40 Years,
a joyful retrospective spanning their most beloved work; and seasonal productions including Happy Joyous
Hanukkah and Songs of Faith & Freedom, a Passover/Easter celebration with gospel powerhouse Joshua Nelson.
Each performance channels the band’s signature blend of virtuosity, humor, social vision, and ecstatic rhythm.