LAURA MELNICOFF
Laura Melnicoff, a cellist based in Albany, and her band will be in concert at the Albany Jewish Community Center, 340 Whitehall Rd., Albany on Friday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. and at the Linda, WAMC’s performing arts studio, 339 Central Ave., Albany, on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. The group will perform at both venues Chasidic Jewish tunes from the Ukraine in concerts entitled Nikolayev.
The Nikolayev concert is music composed by members of the Charitonow family, who lived in the Russian Empire town of Nikolayev at the end of the 19th century. Avraham and his two sons, Aharon and Sholom, were musicians, as well as kosher butchers in their community in what is now known as Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Their compositions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries continue to be actively sung and performed today in the Chasidic world.
Melnicoff’s performances have taken her to major stages and festivals in North America, Europe, and Israel. Before her recent move to this region, Melnicoff frequently worked with the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, and was cello chair of the off-Broadway Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, directed by Joel Grey. She is the recipient of the 2024 Folk Arts Grant by the New York State Council for the Arts. In 2023, Melnicoff was the recipient of a grant from the Arts Center of the Capital Region, which supported her debut album of solo works for classical cello, “Bars of Light.”
The concert is presented by New York Folklore, a membership organization, open to all, concerned with furthering cultural equity and strengthening the understanding of the role of folk and traditional arts.
The general admission for the concert at the Linda, WAMC’s performing arts studio will be $10. Free tickets are available at the Linda website by using the code: NYFolklore.
