Ira Klein

Ira Klein is an award-winning guitarist, composer, and educator from Jerusalem and based in Brooklyn. Specializing in Middle Eastern music, American folk, and music for dance, he seamlessly combines a lifelong passion for musical traditions with a love of experimentation. 

A recipient of numerous prestigious awards from foundations such as J Arts Boston, Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), and Mass Cultural Council, Ira has appeared on NPR, WBGH, CBC, Jewish Renaissance, Haaretz, and Americana UK. He has performed with world-renowned artists including McArthur Fellow Claire Chase, saxophonist Neil Leonard, and guitarist Kevin Barry (Jackson Browne) and served as a music consultant to Intentional Beauty, the Judaica gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Ira has been invited to present visiting talks and clinics at Berklee College of Music, Harvard, Yale, Bard College, and the Somerville Public Library. He holds degrees from Berklee College of Music and Bard College and is a certified K-12 educator. 

Artistic discipline: Guitarist and composer  

Project vision: 

For my LABA project, I will dive into the Turkish-Jewish tradition of Maftirim – Jewish liturgical works that are sung in a classical Ottoman style. I will learn pieces from this repertoire on the nylon string fretless guitar and experiment by creating original compositions responding to the traditional pieces, and by using electronics. 

This project connects with the theme of CHANGE as it attempts to envision what the future of an ancient Jewish traditional art form could sound like, bringing together the acoustic and the futuristic. 

irakleinmusic.com