Cookie Segelstein
Klezmer music
Cookie Segelstein is a world renowned klezmer violinist. She has been in the forefront of the klezmer scene for over 35 years. Known both as an educator and a performer, she has taught workshops all over the world, including Poland, New York, Canada, and the United States. she has performed in some of the world‘s most famous concert halls, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the performance halls at Yale University. She was born to parents from what is now Ukraine, she grew up with the kind of music that she now teaches and performs. She is also a trained classical Viola player, having gotten a masters degree in Viola performance from Yale University, studying with the great Raphael Hillyer, the founding Viola player from the Julliard Quartet. The consummate teacher, Cookie’s students range from beginner to performing professional.
Apprenticeship Program
2026
Klezmer music with apprentice Sharon Mitchell
Sharon Mitchell will learn from Cookie Segelstein the traditions of klezmer music rooted in her family’s Czech, Ukrainian, Hungarian, and Polish heritage and within the broader context of Yiddish cultural life. Cookie will guide Sharon in klezmer history, interpretation, repertoire, and performance practice, deepening her understanding of this highly interpretive musical tradition and its connections to Jewish ritual, folk traditions, and community life. Through this apprenticeship, Sharon will strengthen her performance skills while helping carry forward the living tradition of klezmer music.
