Bente Kahan
Encyclopedia
Bente Kahan is a Norwegian solo vocalist best known for her renditions and productions of Yiddish folk music and plays.
Kahan received her formal education in performing arts at Tel Aviv University
and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy
. Upon graduation, she worked on stages in Norway (including Nationaltheatret
) and Israel Habima.
Since then, she has written three monodrama
s in collaboration with Ellen Foyn Bruun titled Bessie - a Bluesical (1986), Letter Without a Stamp (1988) and Voices from Theresienstadt (1995). She performed in all these three, taking them on tour.
She founded Teater Dybbuk - Oslo, which produces concerts, monodramas, and CDs related to Jewish culture and arts. She produced and performed with Gjertrud's Gipsy Orchestra a concert called Yiddishkajt, which was also broadcast by Polish National TV.
She also conducts a workshop called Jiddische Lieder (Yiddish songs).
She is the artistic director of the Jewish Cultural and Educational Center of the White Stork Synagogue
in Wrocław, Poland
.
She is married to Polish activist Aleksander Gleichgewicht.
Kahan received her formal education in performing arts at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
The American Musical and Dramatic Academy , is a college conservatory for the performing arts located in New York City and Los Angeles, California....
. Upon graduation, she worked on stages in Norway (including Nationaltheatret
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
) and Israel Habima.
Since then, she has written three monodrama
Monodrama
A monodrama is a theatrical or operatic piece played by a single actor or singer, usually portraying one character.- Monodrama in opera :...
s in collaboration with Ellen Foyn Bruun titled Bessie - a Bluesical (1986), Letter Without a Stamp (1988) and Voices from Theresienstadt (1995). She performed in all these three, taking them on tour.
She founded Teater Dybbuk - Oslo, which produces concerts, monodramas, and CDs related to Jewish culture and arts. She produced and performed with Gjertrud's Gipsy Orchestra a concert called Yiddishkajt, which was also broadcast by Polish National TV.
She also conducts a workshop called Jiddische Lieder (Yiddish songs).
She is the artistic director of the Jewish Cultural and Educational Center of the White Stork Synagogue
White Stork Synagogue
The White Stork Synagogue is a nineteenth century synagogue in Wrocław, Poland.The synagogue, which opened in 1829 when the city was known as Breslau and part of the Kingdom of Prussia, is a three-story Neoclassical designed by the architect Carl Ferdinand Langhans . Langhans was one of the...
in Wrocław, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
She is married to Polish activist Aleksander Gleichgewicht.
Discography
- 1991: Yiddishkayt
- 1992: Farewell Cracow
- 1996: Stemmer fra Theresienstadt (Norwegian)
- 1996: Stimmen aus Theresienstadt (German)
- 1997: Voices from Theresienstadt (English)
- 1998: Di Gojim (klezmer music)
- 2000: Home
- 2005: Sing with us in Yiddish