2025 MFA Hanukkah Global Yiddish Orchestra(GYO) Founded by Yoona Kim, the Global Yiddish Orchestra (GYO) brings together diverse musical voices to explore the unifying spirit of klezmer in an interconnected world. This special performance reimagines the story of Hanukkah—the rekindling of light and hope amid darkness—as a celebration for all humanity. Through the deep, resonant tones of the ajaeng, a traditional Korean string instrument, GYO weaves a dialogue between cultures, where Klezmer’s joyous soul meets Korea’s expressive timbre. The ensemble features Yoona Kim on ajaeng, Nat Seelen on clarinet, Mattias Kaufmann on accordion, Kirsten Lamb on bass, and Paul July Joseph on percussion.

2025 MFA(Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Global Yiddish Orchestra(GYO) Founded by Yoona Kim, the Global Yiddish Orchestra (GYO) brings together diverse musical voices to explore the unifying spirit of klezmer in an interconnected world. This special performance reimagines the story of Hanukkah—the rekindling of light and hope amid darkness—as a celebration for all humanity. Through the deep, resonant tones of the ajaeng, a traditional Korean string instrument, GYO weaves a dialogue between cultures, where Klezmer’s joyous soul meets Korea’s expressive timbre. The ensemble features Yoona Kim on ajaeng, Nat Seelen on clarinet, Mattias Kaufmann on accordion, Kirsten Lamb on bass, and Paul July Joseph on percussion.

Global Yiddish Orchestra

Mattias Kaufman, accordion Yoona Kim, ajaeng