Semer Ensemble

A Premiere and a Legacy

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The Semer Ensemble was created by Dr. Alan Bern for the Jewish Museum Berlin, where it premiered to a standing ovation on July 12, 2012. Featuring international stars of Yiddish music, the project is a masterful contemporary re-interpretation of the almost forgotten Berlin-based Semer label (1933–1938). 

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A Cultural Cross-Section of 1930s Berlin

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It would be a mistake to categorize this repertoire as strictly "Jewish music." Instead, the ensemble presents a cultural cross-section of the multicultural Berlin of the 1930s. Since Berlin's Jews were active in nearly every musical field, the program includes German hits (Schlager), opera arias, cantorial music, Yiddish theater, and cabaret. These songs, performed in Yiddish, German, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Russian, represent the vibrant life of a lost era. 

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Rescued Treasures and Global Recognition

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In 2016, the ensemble released the live album "Rescued Treasure. Live at the Gorki Theatre Berlin" on the renowned Piranha Records label, produced by Ben Mandelson (UK). The group’s journey and the power of this music are also captured in the documentary film "I dance, but my heart is crying" (2024) by director Christoph Weinert, which has gained international acclaim. 

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From Berlin to the World Stage

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Since its inception, the Semer Ensemble has performed with great success across Western Europe, Ukraine, the USA, and Canada. Directed by Alan Bern, the program is a powerful homage to the Semer label artists—not merely to preserve their memory, but to celebrate and continue the vitality of what they stood for in life. 

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Lineup: 

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• Alan Bern – piano, accordion, music director

• Lorin Sklamberg – voice, accordion

• Daniel Kahn – voice, accordion

• Sasha Lurje – voice

• Fabian Schnedler – voice, electric guitar

• Mark Kovnatskiy – violin

• Paul Brody – trumpet

   •   Martin Lillich – basello