The Stahlhammer Orchestra, consisting of Semmy Stahlhammer′s
grandfather and uncles, was founded 1920 in the Lublin area in Poland.
The orchestra gave concerts and played at parties until 1939. In the old
picture the musicians are seen with mandolins, guitars and balalaikas,
but they also played violin, cello, bass, harmonica, trumpet and drums.

The ensemble played traditional Jewish Eastern European party music,
what we today call klezmer, but they also played music that was popular
at the time and whatever they liked. They also kept a dance school.

World War II put an end to the ensemble. Semmy Stahlhammer has
written a book about his family's destiny, Codename Barber, that
describes the time before, during and after the war.

Semmy continues the family tradition with Stahlhammer Klezmer Classic.
The trio has given concerts since 2009 at several festivals, chamber music
associations, churches, synagogues and circus tents. Tours in the USA, Canada,
Latvia and Macedonia. The Trio received grants from the
Ingmar Bergman Foundation and has played for the Swedish Radio & TV.
In 2018 they released the CD In Memory, and in 2019 the CD Vayter
was released together with Yiddish singer Anne Kalmering.