CURRENT PROJECTS
TRENDAFILKA
Founder & Director
Trendafilka is a modern exploration of European polyphonic traditions. Founded in New Orleans in 2016, the ensemble emerged from a shared interest in group singing and a common fascination with culture and ancient traditions. Trendafilka, named after the Balkan wild rose, draws its repertoire from areas of Eastern Europe — the Balkans, the Baltics, the Caucasus, and the Eurasian Steppe — that hold rich cultural traditions of polyphonic singing.
COMMUNITY POLYPHONY
Founder & Facilitator
Community Polyphony is an open, no-audition community choir in New Orleans rooted in polyphonic singing traditions. Polyphonic singing traditions are found across most of the world, and the songs we explore come from traditional and folk sources from various cultures and countries. We learn by ear, with no sight reading required. Community Polyphony is not a performance-focused choir, but instead a a space to learn, to practice, and to experience the kind of shared music-making that people once did together in daily life.
WIT'S END BRASS BAND
Trumpet
Wit's End is an expanding and contracting community of musicians gathered and guided by multi-instrumentalist Shaye Cohn in New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally formed in 2012 as a marching band for the underground queer festival Endless Gaycation, Wit’s End has spent more than a decade playing events, protests, and parades both large and small. Their music spans eras and continents, drawing from South American folk traditions, Turkish psych, modern jazz, New Orleans originals, and plenty of cumbia. Wit’s End is a portable party of tradition and experimentation, skill and whimsy, love and collective joy.
PAST PROJECTS
BLATO ZLATO
Co--Founder; Accordion & Vocals
Blato Zlato is a powerhouse Balkan music collective that weaves the magic of traditional Eastern European folk music with contemporary textural majesty. The group captivates listeners with dark and haunting three-part vocal harmonies and thunderous odd-metered rhythms. As a part of the Balkan musical diaspora, Blato Zlato explores the immigrant experience and seeks to build meaningful cultural and musical bridges between continents, with particular focus on Bulgarian folk songs and Bulgarian language-based compositions.
BULGAR KLEZMER BAND
Accordion
Bulgar Klezmer Band is the first klezmer band based in Bulgaria. The international line-up offers a unique mix of instruments and each band performance aims teleporting the audience to an atmosphere of a Jewish wedding in old Eastern Europe. Members of the band come from diverse musical backgrounds, but share a passion for traditional klezmer music (music of Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe). Founded in September 2022 in Sofia, the band gave its first concerts at various city venues and became the first klezmer band to perform a traditional klezmer music at the famous Sofia Synagogue.
DEJAH LÉGER ET LES POMMIERS DOUX
Accordion
Inspired by the traditional music of Québec and Acadie, Pacific-Northwest musician Dejah Léger (of Acadian group La Famille Léger) joined forces with an Old-Time/Klezmer fiddler, a Balkan accordionist, and a Swing mandolinist. The result is a unique melting-pot take on the rich tradition of French-Canadian music. Recorded in a bunker in Washington state, this EP features the talents of Craig Judelman (the Dust Busters), Lou Carrig, and Matt Sircely (Hot Club Sandwich).