Kaila Flexer

Kaila Flexer is a renowned violinist who has been recording, performing and producing events in the Bay Area for about 15 years.  Kaila Flexer�s unique musical style has been described as a fusion of klezmer, classical, Balkan and jazz, combined in such a way as to create a new style that is all her own.  She currently resides in Oakland and often does a lot of work with the Freight and Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley.

Flexer serves as the Artistic Director of Worldview Cultural Performances, a non-profit arts organization of which Flexer�s Klezmer Mania!, an annual Bay Area Jewish Music Festival, is a project.  Besides Klezmer Mania!, founded in 1989 with Mike Marshall, Flexer has also produced Bridges, which focuses on Jewish, Arabic and Persian music.

Besides Flexer�s involvement in various music festivals, she has also participated in and formed many new music groups.  She has performed with Club Foot Orchestra, Tumbao y Cuerdas, The Bay Area Jazz Composer�s Orchestra, Hotzeplotz and the Klezmer Maniax.  After her work with these groups, Flexer headed up Next Village, a new folk music group.  Flexer�s newest group is Fieldharmonik.

Flexer�s works include Listen, Kaila Flexer & Next Village and Kaila Flexer & Third Ear, all on the Compass Records label.  Besides these, Flexer has been featured on others� works, including Brasil Duets (Mike Marshall, Earthbeat! Records), Simple Gifts and Tree of Life (Barry Phillips, Acorn Records) and On a Starry Night (Tracy Silverman, Windham Hill Records).  Flexer has also had experience with soundtracks for videos: In the Month of Kislev-A Hanukah Story, Havana Nagila-The Jews of Cuba and The Way Home.

Compass Records, �Kaila Flexer and Next Village� [website], 1999 [cited 1 December 2001];
http://www.compassrecords.com/flexer.htm.

Hyperarts, �Kaila Flexer� [website], 2001 [cited 1 December 2001];  http://www.kailaflexer.com.