Past & Current Projects

Teslim

Kaila on violin and viola, Gari Hedegus, playing oud, saz, lauto, violin, viola and hand drums make up this potent duo. Teslim will release their debut (self-titled) CD in March of 2008. Click here for the Teslim page.

Pomegranates and Figs

In 2008 this event will feature Teslim playing original, Sephardic and Mizrahi music and Nikitov performing their unique brand of Yiddish music. Pomegranates and Figs will be touring in the U.S. in December of 2008. Click here for more information.

Xylem Folkestra

Through the support and funding of the Creative Work Fund, Oakland City Council and Oakland's Cultural Funding Program, Kaila Flexer and a corps of professional folk musicians and two Crowden music faculty began the Xylem Fokestra Project with the 76 fourth through eighth grade violinists, violists, cellists, pianists and singers at the Crowden School. These young string players learned traditional Balkan material and Flexer's Balkan-inspired original compositions. Of these students, thirteen sixth through eighth grader Crowden students met intensively with Flexer to learn a concert set and dance set of this repertoire. The Xylem Folkestra performed three very successful Bay Area concerts (Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco) in February of 2006.

*Professional musicians performing with the ensemble:

  • Xylem Folkestra Musical Director KAILA FLEXER violin/composer (Klezmer Mania! Next Village)
  • NICOLAI PRISACAR accordion (Next Village, Jok)
  • MICHELE SIMON vocals, percussion (Brass Menagerie, Anoush)
  • GARI HEGEDUS oud, saz, lauto (Stellamara)
  • LISA GRODIN violin (Philharmonia Baroque, Crowden Artistic Music Director)
  • KEN DURLING clarinet (Crowden Music Faculty)

Kaila Flexer's Fieldharmonik

Kaila Flexer's Fieldharmonik ­ personnel included George Brooks, saxophones,
Nikolai Prisakar, accordion, Bob Lipton, tuba, Petur Iliev, tupan, and KF, violin

Next Village

Next Village ­ personnel included Joel Davel, marimba, Nikolai Prisacar,
accordion, Cindy Browne, double bass, Jason Lewis, drums, KF, violin.
Compass Records put out this self-titled CD.

Third Ear

Third Ear ­ Julian Smedley, violin, KF, violin, Joel Davel, marimba, Cindy
Browne, bass. This ensemble has a CD call "Listen" which is on Compass
Records.

Worldview Cultural Performances

Flexer is Artistic Director of Worldview Cultural Performances is an Oakland-based non-profit arts organization

Klezmer Mania!

Kaila Flexer founded and produced Klezmer Mania!, a festival of Jewish music
and culture. The first event was held 1989 at the Julia Morgan Theater
(capacity 500) at which several ensembles debuted, including a quintet of
clarinets, and a 90-piece klezmer orchestra. The festival moved to several
locations over the years including Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland; Calvin
Simmons Theater, Oakland; Temple Emanu-El, San Francisco before settling for
its last four years at Berkeley's Zellberbach Hall (capacity 2,000) where
family matinee and evening performances were presented by Cal Performances.
At some Klezmer Mania events, there were as many as 50 vendors, selling
everything from latkes to mezzuzot and at its peak, the corps of volunteers
numbered over 100!

Groups featured in Klezmer Mania! over the years included Finjan, David
Krakhauer, Judy Frankel, The Flying Bulgars, Margot Leverett, Brave Old
World, KITKA, San Francisco Klezmer Experience, Zaatar, the East Bay
Bulgariots, a marimba ensemble called Shtikeleh and many others. These
festivals always included theatrical interludes between musical acts on
which we worked collaboratively with directors Ellen Chang, Dan Chumley (San
Francisco Mime Troupe), writers Joan Holden (San Francisco Mime Troupe),
writer/actors Sara Felder and Sherry Glaser, comedian Ed Krasnick and many
others. For the last several years eight-foot tall puppets (inhabited by
actors Joan and Dan Mankin) named Moishe and Leah emceed the show.

Other Worldview Cultural Performances Productions:

  • Mike Marshall and Choro Famoso
  • Psychograss
  • The Darol Anger/Mike Marshall Band
  • Hollis Taylor/Kaila Flexer-Violin Duo
  • Masters of the Accordion featuring Nicolai Prisacar and Milen Slavov
  • Bridges - benefit concerts for the Middle East Children's Alliance

 
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