Craig Judelman

Photo by Sid Keiser

Craig Judelman is a performer, composer, and cultural organizer specializing in Yiddish, klezmer, and American traditional music. Founder/director of Seattle Yiddish Fest and co-director of Shtetl Berlin, he organizes workshops, festivals, and conferences that serve as community-centered platforms for cultural exchange and is a sought-after teacher of traditional violin styles.

Based in Berlin, Craig leads the American stringband Interstate Express and tours with multiple ensembles including the Sklamberg Lurje Judelman Trio (featuring Lorin Sklamberg of The Klezmatics), Lebedik, and The Golden Thread Ensemble, which features his compositions for string quintet. His recent duo album with klezmer legend Michael Alpert, *In Der Heym / Down Home*, connects Yiddish-Ukrainian and American folk music, while other projects explore intersections of Jewish and non-Jewish Eastern European traditions, including Black Rooster Kapelye (Jewish-Latvian music), DRUZI Yiddish-Ukrainian Orchestra and Canta Storie (Italian-American folk music).

Early in his career, he co-founded the bands The Dust Busters, who released an album on Smithsonian Folkways with his mentor John Cohen and Litvakus, devoted to Litvish Jewish music.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​