Giora Feidman was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His Bessarabian Jewish parents immigrated there to escape persecution. Feidman's family are klezmer musicians. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather made music for weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and holiday celebrations in the shtetls (villages) of Eastern Europe. Feidman married Ora Bat-Chaim in 1975. She was his personal manager.
Music career
Feidman playing a lucite clarinet in Jerusalem, 2006
Feidman started his career in Buenos Aires, where he was a member of the Teatro Colón Symphony Orchestra. Two years later he immigrated to Israel. He became the youngest clarinetist ever to play with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a member of the orchestra for over 20 years. In the early 1970s he started a solo career. He has performed with the Berliner Symphoniker, the Kronos Quartet, the Polish Chamber Philarmonic, the Munich Chamber Philarmonic Orchestra, and the Munich Radio Orchestra.
Feidman started the "Clarinet and Klezmer in the Galilee" seminar and master class program, which takes place every year in Safed, Israel.
Discography
Jewish Soul Music (1973)
The Singing Clarinet (1987)
Clarinetango (1990)
The Magic of the Klezmer (1990)
Viva el Klezmer (1991)
Gerschwin & The Klezmer (1991)
The Dance of Joy (1992)
Klassic Klezmer (1993)
Concert for the Klezmer (1993)
Der Rattenfanger (1993)
Feidman in Jerusalem (1994)
Klezmer Chamber Music (1995)
The Soul Chai (1995)
The Incredible Clarinet (1995)
For You (1996)
Schelomo/Barakashot (1996)
Silence and Beyond— Feidman plays Ora Bat Chaim (1997)
Feidman in Bayreuth— Lilith— Neun Gesänge der dunklen Liebe (1997)
Soul Meditation, Harmony of Soul (1997)
Der Golem— Feidman and the Arditti String Quartet (1997)
Klezmer Celebration (1997)
Feidman and Israel Camerata (1998)
Feidman and Katja Beer— Schubert (1998)
Journey (1999)
And the Angels Sing (1999)
Klezmer and More (2000)
Rhapsody (2000)
To Giora Feidman— Your Kletzmer Friends (2000)
TangoKlezmer (2001)
Dancing in the Field (2002)
Feidman plays Piazzolla (2002)
Love— Feidman plays Ora Bat Chaim (2003)
Feidman Plays Mozart and More (2003)
Safad— Feidman and The Safed Chamber Orchestra (2004)
Ewigkeit dringt in die Zeit (2004)
Wenn du singst, wie kannst du hassen? (2005)
Feidman and Eisenberg— Live at St. Severin (2005)
Crossing Borders (2006)
Klezmundo (2006)
Klezmer in the Galilee (2007)
The Spirit of Klezmer (2008)
Klezmer & Strings (2009)
Very Klezmer (2012)
Films
Jewish Soul Music: The Art of Giora Feidman (1980), directed by Uri Barbash.
