Bio


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.


Stahlhammer Orchestra 1930



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
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


Stahlhammer Klezmer Classic Trio



Klezmer music transmits stories that moves you. We can all relate to the
archetypical tone language. It is specific and yet universal. Through the mixture
of genres, people of different social and ethnical background will find something
familiar and maybe also discover something new.