music
Victor Urbancic conducts a makeshift orchestra in Reykjavik, Iceland, sometime after World War II. (Courtesy Árni Heimir Ingólfsson)
August 10, 2026, 8:42 pm
How 3 Jewish refugees from the Nazis built Iceland’s classical music scene from scratch
Iceland’s prime minister closed the borders to Jews — but three men who slipped in changed the country’s history.
By Jenna Gottlieb
Woody Guthrie (left) and Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt. After Guthrie married Greenblatt's daughter, Marjorie Mazia, the two developed a close bond, explored in the new documentary "Dust Bowls and Jewish Souls." (Woody Guthrie Publications)
August 3, 2026, 2:37 pm
The Woody Guthrie story you’ve probably never heard is deeply Jewish
A documentary recasts the folk singer’s legacy through the influence of his mother-in-law, Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt.
By Andrew Silow-Carroll
Noah Kahan plays to a sold-out crowd at PNC Park on July 3 (Photo by Octavia Liku)
July 7, 2026, 10:18 am
Noah Kahan’s ‘The Great Divide Tour’ sells out PNC Park
The Jewish singer-songwriter performed songs from his latest album “The Great Divide” to a crowd of roughly 40,000 at PNC Park stadium.
By Octavia Liku
Clive Davis (r) with Aretha Franklin at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, April 19, 2017. (Clint Spaulding/Penske Media via Getty Images)
June 23, 2026, 5:36 pm
Clive Davis, influential Jewish rock-and-roll executive, dies at 94
He signed Bruce Springsteen and Aretha Franklin – and allegedly used company money to pay for his son’s bar mitzvah.
By Andrew Lapin
Attendees enjoy a June 8 concert featuring cantors, choirs and other dedicated singers. (Photo by Adam Reinherz)
June 11, 2026, 5:18 pm
‘Psalm Enchanted Evening’: Interfaith voices join in song at Cantors Assembly gathering
Music’s ability to move people and tell stories cuts across 'so many different backgrounds and religions'
By Adam Reinherz
Israeli violinist Roni Shitrit and Turkish pianist Izem Gurer perform at the Blairsville Chamber Music Society concert in Nov. 2025. (Photo courtesy of Blairsville Chamber Music Society)
June 8, 2026, 5:02 pm
Booming from Blairsville: Chamber music festival returns
Nearly 200-year-old borough, located 42 miles east of Pittsburgh, set to welcome top talent
By Adam Reinherz
Noam Bettan at Turquoise Carpet event, 2026 (Photo by René Pudschedl / WikiPortraits via Wikimedia Commons)
May 17, 2026, 9:03 am
Israel’s Noam Bettan takes 2nd at Eurovision, buoyed by scrutinized public vote
It was the second straight year that Israel fell just short of a win.
By Philissa Cramer
Israel's Noam Bettan and his backup dancers performing 'Michelle' during a rehearsal for the Eurovision on May 6, 2026, at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. (Alma Bengtsson/EBU, via The Times of Israel)
May 11, 2026, 12:51 pm
Boycotts, beats and bling: Eurovision’s 70th edition kicks off in Vienna
With the focus once again on Israel, singers from 35 nations will compete for the top prize in the colorful contest, amid heavy security, expected protests and backstage tension
By Amy Spiro
Pittsburghers participate in Hazamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir’s annual concert and festival weekend. (Photo courtesy of Cantor Laura Berman)
March 25, 2026, 9:20 pm
Big stage, big takeaway: Hazamir delivers meaningful music and engagement for Pittsburghers
'It is about the music. It is about heritage. It is about creating something extremely special, honoring our tradition and honoring our potential for the future'
By Adam Reinherz
Steven Spielberg speaks at a ceremony at the University of Southern California, March 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (USC/Sean Dube)
February 2, 2026, 9:45 am
Stephen Spielberg wins Grammy, becoming 9th Jew in elite EGOT ranks
Spielberg won for producing “Music by John Williams,” which won best music documentary.
By Philissa Cramer
Carolyn Enger (Photo by J Henry Fair)
January 8, 2026, 12:03 pm
Uncovering a forgotten Holocaust story, one note at a time
Multimedia program presented at Chatham University on Jan. 27 explores the question of identity
By Deborah Weisberg
Musician Lily Henley, right, performs. (Photo courtesy of Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society)
December 5, 2025, 11:01 am
Fiddler Lily Henley brings Ladino music and storytelling to Pittsburgh
Along with drawing listeners in through stories and song, Lily Henley hopes attendees 'learn something about this endangered language and culture that they didn't know before'
By Adam Reinherz
A view of the Concertgebouw building in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Aug. 26, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
November 14, 2025, 10:54 am
Following uproar, IDF cantor to perform at Amsterdam Hanukkah concert after all — but not for everyone
The Royal Concert Hall had canceled the performance over the singer’s ties to the Israeli army.
By Shira Li Bartov
From left: Cantors Kalix Jacobson, Jordan Goldstein and Ze’evi Tovlev (Photo courtesy of Kalix Jacobson)
November 10, 2025, 1:51 pm
Pittsburgh to host transgender cantorial concert
We Remember will take place at The Rotunda Collaborative, the former site of B’nai Israel synagogue.
By Emma Riva
Edward Weinblum produced and hosted the weekly WYEP-FM radio program “Israel Sings” and even hand-created a promotional program for the show. (Image courtesy of the Rauh Jewish Archives)
October 27, 2025, 12:14 pm
The voice of the Jewish people
Each week, "Israel Sings” brought the wide array of Jewish music to the airwaves of Pittsburgh.
By Eric Lidji
Load More