About
Photo by Toan Trinh
"An extraordinary collective sound...Klein combines the old and new with great skill and sensitivity...this talented instrumentalist is one to watch". Americana UK
"His original compositions vie with reimagined versions of folk songs from popular and obscure sources to create an update of the American folk lexicon, a remarkable achievement for any artist". Annie Raines (Paul Rishell & Annie Raines, Susan Tedeschi)
I am an award-winning interdisciplinary guitarist, composer, producer, and educator from Jerusalem, Israel. Currently based in Cambridge, MA, I aspire to create deeply rooted, fresh, and idiosyncratic contemporary music.
I perform and record extensively in New England and beyond. My work has been supported by organizations such as J Arts Boston, Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), Mass Cultural Council, St. Botolph Club Foundation, and The Friends of Mount Auburn. My work has appeared on publications such as NPR, CBC Canada, Jewish Renaissance, Haaretz, Americana UK, and Kolture. I am part of a team of consultants for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as it envisions its first Jewish art gallery. As an educator, I have taught at numerous schools, including Berklee College of Music. I am a Staff Guitarist at Berklee, and run a thriving private guitar and banjo studio at the Cambridge Music Consortium.
Growing up in Jerusalem, I was immersed in the sounds of jazz, contemporary music, and a wide variety of world music including Middle-Eastern, North-African, and Ethiopian music. I produced, arranged, and played on The Captain by Amy McKnight & Shipyard, which Haaretz called "One of the best and most expressive indie albums of 2018". The Captain was played on major Israeli radio stations, and toured the local music festival circuit.
After moving to the U.S. in 2017 to attend Berklee College of Music, I fell in love with American roots music. I dedicated years to an intensive study with some of the greatest living folk musicians, including the Grammy nominated Alice Gerrard and Bruce Molsky, blues master Paul Rishell, and Boston guitar legend Kevin Barry (Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash). My debut EP, Invisible Treasure (2021, Nine Athens Records) blended re-imagined interpretations of American folk music with original compositions. I continue to explore American folk music in a trio with vocalist/bassist Hazel Royer and guitarist Kevin Barry. Our debut album will be released by Nine Athens Records in fall 2023.
In 2021 I circled back to my own Israeli roots and formed Convivencia (Co-existence), a contemporary Ladino (Jewish-Sephardic) music ensemble bringing together musicians from Israel, Iran, Greece, Cyprus, and the U.S. I am very proud of the music and the peaceful mission of this ensemble. I believe that when ancient songs meet a modern interpretive approach, the creative possibilities are boundless.
Currently, I am pushing my creative work forward in a new and exciting collaborative directions. I am composing music for dance in collaboration with celebrated New England dancers and choreographers Rachel Linsky and Liz Walker, and working on a solo guitar album inspired by the contemporary photography of Becky Behar.
Please find my selected resume below:
Teaching:
Berklee College of Music
Cambridge Music Consortium
Club Passim School Of Music
Concord Conservatory of Music
Awards:
2023 Cultural Sector Recovery Grant, Mass Cultural Council
2023 Cultural Council Grant, Cambridge Cultural Council
2023 Cultural Council Grant, Somerville Cultural Council
2022 - 2023 Community Creative Fellow, J Arts Boston
2022 - 2024 Traditional Arts Apprentice in Blues Music (under Paul Rishell), Mass Cultural Council
2022 Emerging Artist Award, St. Botolph Club Foundation
2022 Artist-in-Residence, Mt. Auburn Cemetery
2021 Recording Grant, Ministry of Culture and Sport, Israel
2021 Iguana Grant, Club Passim
2010 Best Young Jazz Band, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Eilat, Israel
Education:
2017 - 2020 Bachelor of Music, Berklee College of Music, with highest honors
Scholarships:
2019 - 2020 Professional Music Department Achievement Award, Berklee College of Music
2018 - 2019 Fletcher Bright Endowed Scholarship in American Roots Music, Berklee College of Music
2017 - 2020 World Tour Scholarship, Berklee College of Music
Performances and Lectures:
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Mass MOCA
Berklee College of Music, Boston
Yale University, Slifka Center for Jewish Life
The Boston Festival of New Jewish Music
Harvard University, Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
Harvard University, Smith Student Center
Harvard University, Holden Chapel
Boston University Hillel
Vilna Shul, Beacon Hill
J Arts Boston
Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), Boston
Longfellow House Museum, Cambridge
Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge
Boston Art and Music Soul Festival (BAMS Fest)
Somerville Public Library
Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown
Earfull Music and Literature Series, Watertown
ArtBeat Festival, Somerville Arts Council
Temple Isaiah, Lexington
St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Cambridge
Union Baptist Church, Cambridge
The 'Quin House, Boston
St. Botolph Club, Boston
Atwoods Tavern, Cambridge
CultureHouse, Somerville
The Burren, Somerville
Boston City Winery
Club Passim, Cambridge
Sofar Sounds Boston
Scorpio Concert Series, Jamaica Plain
GreyFox Bluegrass Festival, NY
Gallery P339, Brooklyn
Sofar Sounds New York
Rockwood Music Hall, NYC
Pete's Candy Store, NYC
Folk Alliance International
Lawnya Vawnya Festival, Canada
Ossipee Valley Music Festival, ME
Acousticool, CT
Red Sea Jazz Festival, Eilat, Israel
Animix International Animation Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel
Indie City Festival, Jerusalem, Israel
Tower of David Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem Academy of Music & Dance
The Khan Theatre, Jerusalem, Israel
Levontin 7, Tel Aviv, Israel
Shablul Jazz Club, Tel Aviv, Israel
Ozen Bar, Tel Aviv, Israel
Yellow Submarine, Jerusalem, Israel
Mazkeka, Jerusalem, Israel
Hamiffal, Jerusalem, Israel
Nocturno, Jerusalem, Israel
Hamarakia, Jerusalem, Israel
Matat Gallery of Art, Matat, Israel