Role

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Ensemble

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Vocal

 

The New Budapest Orpheum Society is a classical music ensemble that specializes in performing music from the Jewish cabaret tradition of the early 20th century. The group was founded in 1997 by Philip Bohlman, a professor of musicology at the University of Chicago, and Ilya Levinson, a pianist and conductor. The ensemble takes its name from the original Budapest Orpheum Society, a Jewish cabaret that was active in Hungary from the 1880s to the 1920s. The New Budapest Orpheum Society's repertoire includes songs and instrumental pieces from the Jewish cabaret tradition, as well as works by composers who were associated with the original Budapest Orpheum Society, such as Arnold Schoenberg, Franz Lehár, and Emmerich Kálmán. The ensemble's performances are characterized by their energy, humor, and virtuosity, as well as their commitment to preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Jewish cabaret. One of the highlights of the New Budapest Orpheum Society's career was their performance at the 2002 Salzburg Festival, one of the most prestigious classical music festivals in the world. The ensemble's concert, which was titled "The Last Cabaret: Music from the Jewish Cabaret Tradition," was a tribute to the Jewish cabaret performers who were persecuted and silenced during the Holocaust. The concert featured songs and instrumental pieces by composers such as Friedrich Hollaender, Mischa Spoliansky, and Kurt Weill, as well as readings from the works of Jewish writers such as Franz Kafka and Isaac Bashevis Singer. The concert was a critical and popular success, and it helped to establish the New Budapest Orpheum Society as one of the leading ensembles in the field of Jewish cabaret music. Another important moment in the New Budapest Orpheum Society's career was their performance at the 2004 Berliner Festspiele, a major cultural festival in Berlin. The ensemble's concert, which was titled "The Jewish Cabaret in Exile," was a tribute to the Jewish cabaret performers who were forced to flee Germany during the Nazi era. The concert featured songs and instrumental pieces by composers such as Hanns Eisler, Kurt Tucholsky, and Erich Kästner, as well as readings from the works of Jewish writers such as Walter Benjamin and Stefan Zweig. The concert was a powerful reminder of the resilience and creativity of the Jewish cabaret tradition, even in the face of persecution and exile. Over the years, the New Budapest Orpheum Society has received numerous awards and accolades for their work. In 2003, the ensemble was awarded the German Record Critics' Award for their album "The Last Cabaret: Music from the Jewish Cabaret Tradition." The album, which was recorded live at the Salzburg Festival, features songs and instrumental pieces from the Jewish cabaret tradition, as well as readings from the works of Jewish writers such as Franz Kafka and Isaac Bashevis Singer. The album was praised for its energy, humor, and virtuosity, as well as its commitment to preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Jewish cabaret. In 2006, the New Budapest Orpheum Society was awarded the Echo Klassik Award for their album "Jewish Cabaret in Exile." The album, which was recorded live at the Berliner Festspiele, features songs and instrumental pieces from the Jewish cabaret tradition, as well as readings from the works of Jewish writers such as Walter Benjamin and Stefan Zweig.

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