Deborah Strauss

Deborah Strauss (violin, accordion, vocals, dance) is an internationally acclaimed klezmer violinist. She has appeared on numerous recordings and was a long-time member of the Chicago Klezmer Ensemble. Deborah is also a renowned teacher of Yiddish music and dance to students of all ages. She studied violin at Rutgers University and ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago. Deborah Strauss is one of the most active and well-respected performers and teachers in the klezmer and Yiddish music scene. Her performances are an integrated and intimate blend of songs, translations and instrumental music – grounded in tradition, yet thoroughly contemporary. She draws from klezmer, Yiddish, Hasidic and liturgical music and culture, adding her own original compositions and song settings. As she sings and plays in shifting combinations of violin, guitar, mandolin and accordion, she creates a dynamic atmosphere with an exceptional range of feeling – from delicate and refined to exuberant and foot-stomping.

She is a member of the Klezmer Conservatory Band and has performed with violinist Itzhak Perlman on film and in concert. As the Strauss/Warschauer Duo, they have performed to overwhelming acclaim in such diverse venues as the Amsterdam International Yiddish Festival, the Jewish Culture Festival in Cracow, the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto, and the Folksbiene Yiddish Theater in New York City. She leads workshops and classes throughout North America and Europe and is on the faculty of the KlezKamp and KlezKanada Yiddish culture programs, and is a frequent instructor for the Jewish Music Institute/SOAS at the University of London.