named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Fun an Altn Klezmer Heft
Publication of 44 previously unknown klezmer melodies from the Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript Project
Gesture in Yiddish Dance, Speech, and Music
Six-session online course exploring expressive gesture in Jewish prayer, dance, and speech led by Drs. Walter Zev Feldman and Judit Niran Frigyesi
Klezmer Playbook
Two-volume folio series with 100 transcribed klezmer tunes, playalong tracks, and access to the Klezmer Playbook Club online learning community
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Musicological Research and Scholarly Editions 4 activities
- Online Collaboration and Knowledge-Sharing PlatformsHosts digital community spaces such as the KMDMP Commons and Klezmer Playbook Club, enabling musicians and scholars worldwide to collaboratively explore, translate, and revitalize historical klezmer manuscripts and repertoires.
- Publication and Distribution of Klezmer Music FoliosProduces, publishes, and distributes music folios that document klezmer repertoires and family traditions, including the Levitt Legacy Klezmer Folio and the two-volume Klezmer Playbook series, often accompanied by digital playalong tracks and online learning resources.
- Research Publication and Scholarly CollaborationCollaborates with scholars to publish research articles, bibliographies, conference papers, and photographic collections on klezmer music and Ashkenazic expressive culture, including studies on klezmer revival and Transylvanian folk pedagogy.
- Revival and Dissemination of Historical Klezmer ManuscriptsDigitizes, notates, and makes publicly accessible approximately 1,400 century-old klezmer tunes from the Kiselgof and Makonovetsky manuscripts, significantly expanding the known repertoire and enabling global access through online platforms and Creative Commons licensing.
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Music Education and Training Programs 1 activity
- Arts Education and Community WorkshopsProvides educational programming in klezmer music and Yiddish expressive culture for diverse audiences, including college and public school students, youth populations, and enrolled course participants, with access to digital materials and online workshops.
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
- Concerts, Tours, and Artist ResidenciesHosts and performs in-person and online concert series, tours, and artist residencies across North America and Europe, including performances at major venues and festivals, premiering newly digitized historical tunes and contemporary works.
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Production and Release of Musical Recordings and FilmsRecords, produces, and releases albums and films featuring klezmer and Yiddish music, including performances from the Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Corpus, original compositions, and concert recordings, distributed through streaming platforms and physical media.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Capacity Building through NEH Grants and Digital Tool DevelopmentSecures and implements multi-year NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Grants to prototype, test, and advance digital tools for klezmer music research, including Phase I and Phase II funding cycles between 2021 and 2025.
- Digital Humanities Research on Klezmer MusicConducts advanced digital humanities research to document and revitalize klezmer music, including the development of digital archival tools and systems architecture for the Klezmer Archive Project. This includes completing Phase I and Phase II NEH-funded research resulting in a white paper, MVP plan, and system architecture for a digital discovery platform.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$184K
Contributions & grants$179K97%
Program service revenue$5K3%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$150K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$50K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$61K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$61K
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue +115.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTINA CROWDER | SECRETARY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 25 | $20K |
| CLARA BYOM | TREASURER, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR | 18 | $16K |
| WALTER ZEV FELDMAN | PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC DIRECTOR | 1 | $11K |
relationships · 26
Who they work with
- ART Portland Partner — Producing organization for which Christina Crowder served as musical director and performer in 2020.
- Christina Crowder Partner — Moderates each session of the 2025 Gesture Course.
- Congregation Albert Partner — Donor at the Sponsor level ($250+)
- Di Naye Kapelye Partner — Founding ensemble with which Christina Crowder performed Jewish music in Budapest, Hungary.
- Infoloom Partner — Provided support for the project through use of their Networker tool, a platform for connecting and curating data from diverse sources.
- KlezKanada Partner — Festival where members of the Zamlers Trio have performed and taught.
- Lloyd Wolf Partner — Published photographic work documenting the klezmer music scene.
- National Endowment for the Humanities Funder — Primary funder of the Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript Project and the Klezmer Archive Project.
- National Endowment for the Humanities Funder — Primary funder of the Klezmer Archive Project through Digital Humanities Advancement Grants
- National Endowment for the Humanities Funder — Primary grant funder supporting Institute projects
- National Endowment for the Humanities Funder — Provided a Phase I Digital Humanities Advancement Grant for the Klezmer Archive Project.
- National Endowment for the Humanities Government — Funded the Klezmer Archive Project through a Phase I and Phase II Digital Humanities Advancement Grant.
- National Endowment for the Humanities Government — Government agency funder at the Benefactor level ($2,500+)
- Oregon Shakespeare Festival Partner — Christina Crowder, Executive Director of Klezmer Institute, served as music director and performing artist in a production of “Indecent” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
- Oregon Shakespeare Festival Partner — Producing organization for which Christina Crowder served as musical director and performer in 2019.
- Shades of Folk Partner — Co-publishing and distribution partnership for the Klezmer Playbook series and related resources.
- Susi Evans Partner — Collaborates on the publication and distribution of the Shades of Folk klezmer folios.
- Szilvia Csaranko Partner — Collaborates on the publication and distribution of the Shades of Folk klezmer folios.
- Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine Partner — Source of historical klezmer manuscripts for the Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript Project.
- Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine Partner — Source of retrieved century-old klezmer tunes archive
- Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine Institute of Manuscripts Partner — Collaborates on the Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript Project by providing source materials and requiring attribution under the Creative Commons license.
- Virginia Humanities Government — Funder of the Columbia Pike Documentary Project led by Lloyd Wolf.
- Walter Zev Feldman Partner — Authoring a companion publication to support broader understanding of klezmer music.
- Yiddish New York Partner — Co-founded and organized by Michael Winograd, affiliated with the Klezmer Institute.
- Yiddish New York Partner — Festival where members of the Zamlers Trio have performed and taught.
- Yiddish Summer Weimar Partner — International festival where members of the Zamlers Trio have served as faculty.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Driven Digital Humanities for Cultural Continuitymethodology: community-driven digital humanitiesBy using digital humanities tools in a community-centered, collaborative model, the organization enables global participation in the revival of klezmer music, fostering both scholarly research and living artistic practice through shared access and co-creation.
- Cultural Fusion as Intercultural Dialoguemethodology: cultural_fusionBy fusing klezmer with Transylvanian, Hasidic, and lautărească musical traditions, the organization fosters intercultural understanding and revitalizes Ashkenazic music through creative exchange with neighboring Eastern European traditions.
- Cultural Revival Through Archival Rescue and Performancemethodology: cultural_recovery_through_archival_rescueBy recovering and performing previously inaccessible klezmer music from historical archives, the organization transforms public understanding of the genre and 20th-century Jewish life, using lost works as catalysts for cultural reconnection and reinterpretation.
- Practitioner-Centered Research to Democratize Cultural Stewardshipmethodology: practitioner_centered_researchBy centering non-academic practitioners as co-researchers in the study and transmission of Ashkenazic expressive culture, the organization ensures authenticity, broadens access, and strengthens the living tradition beyond academic institutions.