Mark Kligman
USA
Mark Kligman is the Inaugural holder of the Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music where he is a professor of Ethnomusicology and Musicology. He specializes in the liturgical traditions of Middle Eastern Jewish communities and various areas of popular Jewish music. He has published on the liturgical music of Syrian Jews in Brooklyn in journals as well as his book, Maqam and Liturgy: Ritual, Music and Aesthetics of Syrian Jews in Brooklyn (Wayne State University, 2009), which shows the interconnection between the music of Syrian Jews and their cultural way of life. His other publications focus on the intersection of contemporary Jewish life and various liturgical and paraliturgical musical contexts. Orthodox Popular music is the subject of his current work. He is the academic Chair of the Jewish Music Forum and co-editor of the journal MusicaJudaica. From 2014-2016 he was on the board of the Association for Jewish Studies. Presently, he is the Chair of the Jewish Studies and Music Group for the American Musicological Society. Professor Kligman is the Director of the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience.
SESSION INFO
SATURDAY 3.45-4.45pm
Music in the Jewish tradition: Functional or Aesthetic?
Music is mentioned throughout the bible and rabbinic literature and throughout and thus Jewish Thought recognizes music as both valuable and problematic. This session will look at the uses of music in Judaism as functional, reciting and singing texts and aesthetics, assessing the role of beauty. Music holds an interesting place in the Jewish tradition as it is a central part of Jewish religious life, yet rabbis are concerned that music can be self-indulgent. This session will investigate Jewish texts that situates the importance and challenges of music in Jewish life.
SATURDAY - LIMMUD IN YOUR LOUNGE
Jews and Musical Theatre
Jews have been engaged with Musical Theatre in America for over 100 years. As creators, producers, presentations and artists, Jews have made many contributions. This talk will present the early influence of Jews in American Theatre with Show Boat and Oklahoma and then show how Jewish topics are part of Broadway from Fiddler on the Roof to Falsettos. This talk will show a three-step process: first, Jews created musical with utopian ideals to express their desire to be American Jews, without Jewish content; second, showcasing Jewish life in Europe and America that despite the challenges Jewish tradition remains; third, by the 1980s American Jewish life is full of challenges where Judaism is one of many identities.
SUNDAY 4-5pm
Introduction to Sephardic Music
Jews have spread into many parts of the world. Viewing the music of Yemenite, Persian, Syrian, Turkish, Moroccan and Wester Sephardic Jews this presentation will focus on the range of religious and related musical styles that show the similarities and uniqueness to Sephardi/Mizrahi Jewish life through their music. The presentation will focus on the instruments and musical styles, through audio and video examples, of Jews from the Mediterranean and show how this music is integrated into Jewish religious life and life cycle events.