September 3, 2001 Library of Congress Presents Clarinetist David Krakauer

On Friday, September 28, at 8 p.m., David Krakauer will perform works for clarinet and piano in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. The program includes a variety of works ranging from Janácek, Brahms, Reich, Debussy, and Krakauer's Rothko on Broadway to a klezmer set performed with the ensemble Klezmer Madness!.

The concert is dedicated to the memory of Max Isenbergh, a longtime supporter of the Library of Congress concert series. The Isenbergh Clarinet Fund in the Library of Congress was initiated in 1985 by Max Isenbergh in memory of his sister, Charlotte Isenbergh Kessler, primarily to support public concerts featuring the clarinet. A prominent attorney, law professor, and accomplished amateur clarinet player, Max Isenbergh held top posts with the Atomic Energy Commission and the State Department. After retiring from government service, he taught at several universities including the University of Virginia and of Maryland, and George Washington, American, and Yale universities. A longtime resident of Washington, his main avocation throughout his life was music.

Known for his mastery of musical styles, David Krakauer is considered a major voice in classical music, as well as one of the world's leading exponents of Eastern European Jewish klezmer music. He is renowned for his solo clarinet performances with such ensembles as the Kronos Quartet, the Berlin Radio Orchestra, the Tokyo String Quartet, the Eroica Trio and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. In addition to his solo appearances, Mr. Krakauer has drawn enthusiastic critical attention worldwide with his ensemble, Klezmer Madness!, performing klezmer and his own compositions that pay tribute to such styles as jazz, rock, experimental, classical and funk. Projects and recordings that have earned critical acclaim include performances of John Zorn's Kristallnacht, premiered at the 1992 Radical Jewish Culture festival in Munich; Osvaldo Golivjov's The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, recorded with the Kronos Quartet; and two recent recordings with his own band, Klezmer Madness!, and A New Hot One.

Pianist Brian Zeger made his debut at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and has appeared at such distinguished venues as Carnegie Hall, the London Barbican Centre, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, and the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. He has performed in concert with violinist Itzhak Perlman, flutist James Galway and song recitalists Marilyn Horne, Kathleen Battle and Arleen Auger.

The ensemble Klezmer Madness! performs traditional music of Eastern European Jews, brought to the United States by immigrants during the period 1880 to 1920. Working with Will Holshouser, accordion; Kevin Norton, percussionist; Nicki Parrott, bassist; and Mark Stewart, electric guitar, David Krakauer both explores the tradition and expands it, incorporating such diverse musical influences as Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix and James Brown.

Tickets for the September 28 concert can be obtained through TicketMaster by calling (301) 808-6900, (410) 752-1200 or (202) 432-SEAT (maximum of two tickets per person). Each ticket will carry a nominal service charge of $2, with additional charges for phone orders and handling. Tickets are also available at TicketMaster outlets; for a complete list, visit the TicketMaster site at www.ticketmaster.com. Although the supply of tickets for some concerts may be exhausted, there are often empty seats at concert time. Interested patrons are encouraged to come to the Library by 6:30 p.m. on concert nights to wait for no-show tickets.