The Ken Ulansey Klezmer Ensemble

Philadelphia Klezmer Band, The Ken Ulansey Klezmer Ensemble

The Ken Ulansey Klezmer Ensemble has been in the Philadelphia entertainment scene for over 40 years providing traditional Jewish music to weddings, events, mitzvahs, and social gatherings. Their reputation and ability to provide an authentic music experience has lead them to their long success as one of Philadelphia’s top Traditional Klezmer bands.

The Ken Ulansey Klezmer Ensemble has many different offerings for your wedding or event:

Klezmer with jazz music influence is the band’s sweet spot, however beyond traditional Klezmer music, Ken’s ensemble can also do a full day of French music and Brazilian music.

This ensemble can scale anywhere from 2-8 performers dependent on the event, and expectations of sound. A danceable size group is 3 – 8, whereas light background music can go from 2 -5 members. 5 is prime for most concert or party situations for an all-Jewish focus.

Larger isn’t better all the time but is more versatile and splashier or for people who want also a modern secular dance band. The instruments included range from tuba, vocals, accordion, soprano sax, guitar, clarinet, trumpet.

The Ken Ulansey Klezmer Ensemble is available for the following special events!

• Weddings
• Mitzvahs
•  Concerts
•  Senior centers
•  Music Festivals
• Synagogues
• Life Milestones

Ken Ulansey started his career just as all our dance bands did, on the ground at weddings and events. After noticing that Jewish weddings contained a large amount of tradition on the dance floor, Horas and 3-4 base archetypal songs, Ken realized there was a market for traditional Jewish music at luxury weddings and events.

Ken Ulansey embarked on his Klezmer journey by pairing with Hankus Netsky, a professor at New England Conservatory, as well as a multi-instrumentalist and composer, who formed the big band Klezmer Conservatory. Under Netsky, Ken learned the repertoire and tradition of this music, and how to approach and be prepared to provide a unique, traditional entertainment experience.

At events with strong Jewish identification, Ken Ulansey Klezmer Ensemble leans into performing old and new traditions for this music. They mix the instrumental with Yiddish songs, traditional Israeli dances, and Latino- inspired dance music. They stick to the origins of Klezmer music in this way because it is historically a mix of many different cultures and influences. Klezmer music was always a melting pot tradition, and Ken and his band embrace that.

Book the BVTLive! Klezmer Group for your Wedding or Event!

Ken Ulansey Klezmer Ensemble has been providing entertainment in the Philadelphia area for over 30 years, winning the Best Band of Philadelphia in the early 1980s. Their notable performances include:

• The Philadelphia folk festival
• The Newport Jazz Festival
• Played at Lincoln Center
• Telluride Composer to Composer Festival
• Multiple music festivals and clubs around Philly
• The majority of synagogues in Philadelphia

Contact us today to book the Ken Ulansey Klezmer ensemble for your wedding or event!