🎻 Jewish folk music 🎶 Jewish music style 🧑‍🎤 A folk musician

klezmer

1 8.8

A musician who plays traditional Jewish folk music, often on clarinet or violin

noun
/ˈklɛz.mər/

: músico klezmer

At the cultural event, I enjoyed a performance by a talented klezmer ensemble that celebrated Jewish heritage.
klezmer musician
klezmer band

Examples

My father imagined me a klezmer, playing for kopecks on the street corner, desperate for me to join the family business to make a living.

Maestro (2023)
The klezmer band played lively music at the wedding, making everyone dance with joy.
During the festival, a famous klezmer musician captivated the audience with his clarinet solos.

Surface Forms

klezmer singular

klezmers plural

Etymology

Klezmer comes from Yiddish and Hebrew: kli 'instrument' and zemer 'song' formed kli zemer, 'instrument of song'. Long ago the name moved from the instrument to the player, so klezmer can also mean a musician who plays that music.