Courses

 
  • “Gesture” Doctoral Seminar, co-taught with Michael Beckerman, Music Department, NYU, (spring 2018).
  • “Introduction to Maqam and Usul,” NYU, Abu Dhabi (spring 2015).
  • “Gesture in Speech, Poetry, Music and Dance”, NYU Abu Dhabi, (Core Curriculum, spring 2012—2014).
  • “Instruments in World Musical Cultures”,  NYU Abu Dhabi, (Core Curriculum, spring, fall 2011).
  • “Regional Musics of the Middle East,” NYU Abu Dhabi (fall 2010).
  • “Seminar in Ottoman Turkish Music” and “Workshop in Ottoman Turkish Music,” Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (spring 2010).
  •  “Introduction to the Music of the Middle East,” Music Department, New York University (fall 2009).
  • “Seminar in Klezmer Music” and “Workshop in Klezmer Music”, Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (spring 2008-09).
  • “Jewish Performance: Yiddish Dance and Dance Music”,  Department of Performance Studies, New York University (fall 2008).
  • “The Music of Ashkenaz: Form, Meaning and Identity”; “Music of Sufism” Bar Ilan University (spring 2007).
  • “Ottoman Turkish Music”; “Klezmer Music,” Bar Ilan University, Tel-Aviv (2006).
  • “The Musical Map of the Middle East”, Bar Ilan University, Tel-Aviv (2004, 2005).
  • “Music of the Ottoman Empire and Republican Turkey” Central European University, Budapest (2003).
  •  “Ottoman Music”, Center for the Classical Music and Dance of the Orient, Jerusalem (2000).
  • “Music of Sufism”, Center for the Classical Music and Dance of the Orient, Jerusalem (2000-2007).
  • “Music and Dances of the Ashkenazim”, Beit Shalom Aleichem, Tel-Aviv (2002-2003).
  • “Modus: Maqam,” and “Klezmer Music, Bar Ilan University (2001).
  • "Klezmer Music: The Old World and its Legacy", New York University (2000).
  • "Music and Text in the Islamic Middle East" (1988-1997), including "Musical Folklore of Central Asia" (1990) and "Music of Sufism" (1991).
  • "Modern Middle Eastern Literature in Translation" (1986-1998): University of Pennsylvania (team-taught).
  • "Klezmer Music in Eastern Europe and America", Princeton University (1985).

Lectures & Conference Papers

 

Middle Eastern Music

  • “Ottoman Musical Modernity in the ‘Long’ Eighteenth Century,” NYU Abu Dhabi Institute (February 18, 2018).
  • “The Multiple Systems of Ottoman Musical Notation: Western Influence or Modernity within the Culture of the East?”,  20th Congress of the International Musicological Society, Tokyo University of the Arts (March 23, 2017).
  • “The Sabbath Shiro Repertoire of Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan.” Silk Road House, Berkeley (December  4, 2016). 
  • Ceremonial Address, Opening Festivities, Corpus Musicae Ottomanicae,  Münster: “Ottoman Music: Creation and Notation of a New Musical Standard” (October 30, 2015).
  • “Relations of Melody and Usul Rhythmic Cycles in Ottoman Court Music,” American University of Sharjah, UAE (April, 2015).
  • “Compositions in Usul Zencir 120/4, the Longest Rhythmic Cycle in Ottoman Music,” Rhythm Workshop, NYU Abu Dhabi, (October 12-15, 2014).
  • Keynote Speech: “The Art of Melodic Extension Within and Beyond the Usul”, for  conference “Rhythmic Cycles and Structures in the Art Music of the Middle East”, Westphalian Wilhelms University Münster, (February 28, 2014).
  • “Seventeenth Century Musical Forms: Itri Between Ali Ufki, Evliya Çelebi and Cantemir,” Conference: Itri and his Era: an International Symposium. Istanbul University, (December 3, 2012).
  • “Itri and Cantemir: a Comparison of the Works of Two Later 17TH Century Composers as They Appear in 19th Century Sources and in Cantemir’s Manuscript,”Conference: Itri the Great Composer, Fatih University, (23-24 November 2012).
  • “Musical Populism in the Sixteenth Century Ottoman Empire,” Conference: Poetry in Context: Literature. Music and Daily Life in the Ottoman Empire during the Early Modern Period, Tel Aviv University, (20-21 November, 2012).
  • “Dionysian and Apollonian in Ottoman Courtly Performance (ca. 1650-1790).” Conference: Courts and Performance in the Pre-Modern Middle East, NYU AD, (February 28, 2012).
  • “The Musical Renaissance of Late 17th Century Ottoman Turkey and its Parallels with and Differences from Safavid Persia.” Conference: Writing the History of Ottoman Music, Orient Institut/Istanbul and Conservatory of Istanbul Technical University, (November 25, 2011).
  • “Women Bards (Zhyrau) Among Formerly Nomadic Kazakhs of the Aral Sea Region”, in Womens’ Voices in the Muslim World, NYU AD Institute, (April 28, 2011).
  • “Creativity, Continuity and Disruption in an Oral Musica“Ottoman Musical Modernity in the ‘Long’ Eighteenth Century,” NYU Abu Dhabi Institute (February 18, 2018).
  • l Culture: an Appraisal of the Documents of Wojciech Bobowski/Ali Ufki Bey (1610-1675) in the History of Ottoman Music,” NYU AD Humanities Works in Progress, (February 1, 2011).
  • “The Mevlevi Dervish Ritual: Past and Present,” Near Eastern Studies Center, UCLA (January 2010).
  • “The Documents of Ali Ufki Bey as Contributions Toward a History of Ottoman Music,”
  • at the conference “‘Ali Ufki Bey/Wojciech Bobowski”, Istanbul, ITU, (February 2010).
  • “The Mevlevi Dervish Ritual: Past and Present”, Center for the Study of Middle East and Islamic Civilization, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (October 2008).
  • “Sabbath Shiro:  Paraliturgical Hymns from Shahri Sabz, Uzbekistan”, Beit Avichai, Jerusalem (April 2008).
  • “Music and Ritual of the Halveti Dervishes”, Haifa University (March 2007).
  • “Compositions of Tanburi Isak Fresco-Romano”, Jewish Music Forum, Center for Jewish History, New York City, (October 2005).
  • “Compositional Structure of Ottoman Music,” Tel Aviv University, Music Department (March 2004).
  • “The Oud in Ottoman Turkish Music,” for the Medimuses International Oud meeting, Thessaloniki (November 2002).
  • “Form and Meaning in the Mevlevi Ayin,” Collegium Budapest Institute for Advanced Studies (March 2001).
  • "Sacred and Secular in Ottoman Turkish Music," The Center for the Classical Music and Dance of the Orient, Jerusalem, (April 2000).
  • "Multiculturalism and Multiethnicity in the Music of the Ottoman Empire," Rotterdam Arts Council, Netherlands (October 1999).
  • “Bukharan music and poetry of Ilyas Mallayev,” lecture-series and concert, Haverford College (March 1998).
  • “The Ritual and Music of the Whirling Dervishes,” University of Texas, Austin (October 1998).
  • "From Ottoman Music to Turkish Classical Music," Walters Gallery, Baltimore (November 1997).
  • "Stability and Change in Ottoman Art Music," Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture, Istanbul  (November 1997).
  • Interviewed by New York Times for article on Ilyas Mallayev, Bukharan Jewish master musician and poet (February 1996).
  • "Islamic Music and National Musics: 1790-1950," lecture and introduction for the performance of Bukharan poet-musician Ilyas Mallayev for the symposium "Islam and the West," University of Georgia, Athens GA (January 1994).
  • “The Mutual Penetration of Neo-Byzantine and Ottoman Music,” The Onassis Center for Hellenic Studies, New York University (February 1990).

Klezmer Music

  • “Hearing Ashkenaz”, a Discussion on Klezmer: Music, History and Memory led by James Loeffler, Nathaniel Deutsch and Lyudmilla Sholokhova. Association for Jewish Studies Meeting, Washington, D.C. (December 18, 2017).
  • “Human Transmission and Musical Resources for Klezmer Music in America, ca. 1960-2017,” for conference “American Culture and the Jewish Experience in Music”, UCLA (November 6, 2017).
  • Book Presentation, Klezmer: Music, History and Memory, Dostoevsky Library, Moscow (October 10, 2017).
  • Book Presentation: Klezmer: Music History and Memory. Jewish Music Research Centre, National Library of Israel, Hebrew University, Jerusalem (May 10, 2017).
  • “Gesture, Sound and Movement in Traditional Jewish Music and Dance,” with Professor Judit Frigyesi (Bar Ilan University). Meiji Gakuin University, Tokyo (March 18, 2017).
  • “The Choreography of Jewishness: Klezmer Music, Dance and Gesture in Ashkenazic Culture.” Museum of Jewish Montreal (February 16, 2017).
  • “Klezmer: Music, History and Memory: Cultural and Aesthetic Dimensions”.  With Deborah Strauss (violin). New York Public Library (December 22, 2016).
  • “Klezmer: Music, History and Memory,” a Discussion led by James Loeffler (U Virginia) and Glenn Dynner (Sarah Lawrence).   Jewish Music Forum at the Center for Jewish History, NYC (December 14, 2016).
  •  “The Significance of the Klezmer Phenomenon in Eastern Europe (1600-1940.” Columbia University (December 8, 2016).
  •  “Klezmer: Music, History and Memory”. Judah Magnes Museum, Berkeley (December 1, 2016).
  •  “The Klezmer as Mediator Between the Religious and the Secular: Musical Fusion and Cultural Choice in Ashkenaz.” CUNY Graduate Center, NYC (November 16, 2016).
  •  “The Klezmer as Mediator.” University of Pennsylvania (November 14, 2016). 
  • Keynote Talk: “Musical Sources and Varying Diachronic Levels of HIP: a Comparison of East Ashkenazic, Ottoman Turkish and Romanian Urban Musics,” for Yiddish Weimar Conference on “Yiddish Music—Historically Informed Performance Practice”. And conference paper: “The Skotshne Between Dance, Composition and Performance.” (July 19-22, 2016).
  • “A Vanishing Sound: Jewish Musical Resonance in Traditional Moldavian Dance, 1800-1950. Center for Jewish History (January 7, 2013).
  • “Music of the Lautari and Klezmorim in Istanbul and New York,” Academy of Music,  Theater and Fine Arts, Chişinau (Moldova), (November 8, 2011).
  • “The Moldavian Wedding Table Song: a Case of Intercultural Translation Among Romanians, Jews and Greeks, from Bessarabia to New York.” UCLA (June 7, 2011).
  • “Turkish Elements in the Formation of Urban Professional Music in Moldova: The Evidence of Francois Rouschitzki’s “Musique Orientale: 42 Chansons et danses moldaves, vallques, grecs et turcs.” Iasi, 1834, for conference: The Ottoman Past in the Balkan Present: Music and Mediation, University of Athens (September-October 2010).
  • “Khasene: the East European Jewish Wedding,” Conference on Jewish Music, Potsdam, Germany (July, 2010).
  • “Music in Ashkenazic Society: ca. 1600-1920”, Association for Jewish Studies Meeting, Washington, D.C. (December 2008).
  • “The Sher, an Archaic Ashkenazic Contra-Dance,” Association for Jewish Studies Meeting, Toronto, (December, 2007)
  • “Rediscovering the Dance of Klezmer Music”, Carolina Center for Jewish Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (October 2008).
  • “The Instrumental (Klezmer) Repertoire of Eastern Europe in Relation to the Eastern Ashkenazic Wedding (early 17th to early 20th centuries)”, Association for Jewish Studies Meeting, Toronto (December 2007).
  • Symposium (with Lee Ellen Friedland and Prof. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett): “The Yiddish Dance Research Symposium: Defining Yiddish Dance, Secular, Sacred, Borrowed and Transformed.”  Center for Traditional Music and Dance and New York University Department of Performance Studies (December 9, 2007).
  • Lectures: “Defining Yiddish Dance—Contexts, Genres, Gestures” and “The Sher and Contra-Dance,” in the Yiddish Dance Research Symposium.
  • “Some Sociological Aspects of  the Music and Dance of the 19th Century Jewish Wedding in Eastern Europe,” Jewish Theological Seminary, New York City (November 2007).
  • “Romanian Gypsy and Greek Characteristics of 19th and 20th Century Klezmer Music in Europe and America,” Haifa University (June 2007).
  • “North and South in the Klezmer Dance Repertoire: Some Reflections on the Forms Redl, Freylekhs and Volokh in Kiselgof’s Klezmer Collection from Eastern Belarus (1915),” Jewish Music Research Center, Ashkenazic Study Group, Hebrew University,  Jerusalem (June 2007).
  •  “Balkanic Elements in the Klezmer Repertoire”, University of Kansas, Lawrence Kansas (April 2007).
  • “Structure of the East European Jewish Wedding”, Tel-Aviv University (December 2005).
  • “Music of the Traditional East European Jewish Wedding”, Ittingen Pfingstkonzerte, Switzerland (June 2003).
  • “The Khosidl: Interface of Religious and Secular in European Klezmer Music,” International Conference: Form and Content—Music and Piyyut Between Conservation and Innovation. Bar-Ilan University (May 2003).
  • “Music of the Sher, Core of the Secular Ashkenazic Dance Repertoire”, Jewish Music Research Center, Jerusalem (April 2003).
  • “The Connection between Klezmer Music and Jewish Prayer,” Public Lecture with Judit Frigyesi (Bar Ilan University), Wesleyan University (October 2002).
  • Lectures on Klezmer Music at Bar Ilan, Tel-Aviv and Hebrew Universities (March-May 2000).
  • "The Nature of the Southern Klezmer Repertoire," Public Lectures, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Groningen, Antwerp (January 1999).
  • "From Bessarabia to Istanbul and Back: Interactions Between the Constantinopolitan Kasap/Hassapiko and the Klezmer Freylekhs," Klezmer Music Workshop, International Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem (July 1997).

Turkish and Central Asian Literatures

  • “To Be or Not to Be: Existence and Non-Existence in Gazels of the 15th, 16th, and 17th Century”, Divinity School, University of Chicago (April 2008).
  • “Tradition and Modernity in Turkish Culture: a Comparison of Music and Literature,” and “Sources for the Teaching of Ottoman and Turkish Literature in English,” New York University Summer Institute: History and Historical Imagination – Interpreting Middle Eastern Literature (July 1997).
  • International Workshop in Ottoman Poetry, University of Pennsylvania (September 1996), with Walter Andrews, Robert Dankoff, Mehmet Kalpaklı, Paul Losensky, Michael Glünz.
  • "A Bukharan Jewish Master in New York: Poetry of Ilyas Mallayev," Haverford College: (April 1996).
  • “Techniques of Text-Generation in the Uzbek Oral Dastan: the Interface of Orality and Literacy,” Conference: Epic and the Contemporary World, University of Wisconsin, Madison (April 1994).
  • “Translating the Poetry of Na’ili,” Haverford College (November 1994).
  • “Literature and Ethnic Identity in Central Asia, 1700-1800,” for the conference “Central Asia and its Borderlands,” University of Arizona, Tuscon (February 1994).
  • “Sufism and Nihilism in the Poetry of Na’ili”, Middle East Studies Association (1992).
  • “The Speaking Persona in a Gazel of Na’ili”, Middle East Studies Association (1990).