Sponsored by the History Departments at the College of Idaho and Boise State University
Inspired by the work of an international group of twentieth century Jewish writers and poets, Tsvey Brider is an outfit for the musical exploration of contemporary life in the Yiddish language. This has led the duo to write, arrange and perform in a diverse array of styles and genres including contemporary classical, cabaret, blues and pop in addition to the sounds of Jewish Eastern Europe that have traditionally accompanied music in the Yiddish language.
Sidor Belarsky (1898-1975) was one of the twentieth century’s most prolific performers of chazzanut, Chassidic nigunim and Yiddish art song. As an operatic bass, he brought a deeply rich and emotional expression to Jewish music. When Tsvey Brider’s Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell first heard Belarsky sing, he was so captivated that he left a career in opera to devote himself to Belarsky’s music. Russell, together with pianist and accordionist Dmitri Gaskin, revive and reinvent Belarsky’s music, delving into the vibrant world of Ashkenazi Jewish culture through his songs.