Henekh Kon’s “BAS SHEVE” - The First Yiddish Opera Ever Presented in Canada

This is the first Yiddish Opera ever presented in Canada. The concert-style performance features UCLA Philharmonia and soloists from the RCM Glenn Gould School, including Jaclyn Grossman in the titular role, presented at the Glenn Gould Studio, Aug 31 – Sept. 2, 2022.

The only known pre-Holocaust Yiddish opera, and never performed after its 1924 premiere in Warsaw, the work was forgotten for decades before the only known existing manuscript was unearthed by German musicologist Dr. Diana Matut in 2017. After Matut discovered 16 pages missing from the original score, she enlisted Toronto-based Yiddishist (and New York Times best-selling author) Michael Wex to complete the libretto. Renowned klezmer musician, composer and ethnomusicologist Joshua Horowitz was recruited to orchestrate the entire piece and fill in the missing musical portions.