During the past decade and a half, "Cantor" Kaplan has focused on recording
and performing musical masterpieces drawn from the depths of Jewish World Music, traveling and offering this material nationally and internationally.

Concerts typically include songs from Andalusia, the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, and North America. Performing in many languages, Richard often intersperses poetic English renderings for a more complete listening experience.

Song lyrics range from ancient sacred poetry to contemporary themes of ecology, peace-making and social justice. A supporter of "deep ecumenism," Richard often draws from other spiritual-musical traditions including Sufi, African-American Gospel, and those of India. Participatory audience refrains are not uncommon in his presentations.

His three ground-breaking CDs (created in 1999, 2003, and 2009) embody
some of this remarkable repertoire, lovingly and painstakingly chosen from
this under-exposed genre of musical genius. Richard performs in solo formats
(playing piano and hand percussion as accompaniment) as well as in various
sizes of ensemble.

He has worked with such wonderful musicians as Frans Bruggen, Alan Curtis, Stuart Brotman, Bouchaib Abdelhadi, Mimi Spencer, Chuck Israels,
Bill Douglas, Elias Lammam, Chris White, Matthew Brubeck, Jeffrey Kaplan,
Tsippi Gabbai, Smiley Winters, Warren Gale, Alex Baum, Lila Sklar,
Bob Franks, Amit Bleiweiss, Jim Helman and Jeffrey Lasky.

Here are two solo performances of Jewish-Afghani chants
from Life of the Worlds, filmed in Berkeley, California:

His latest presentations also include beautiful teachings and insights into
the musical pieces, making for participatory, transcendent, and unforgetable
concert experiences.

Here's a performance of a Sephardic chant from The Hidden One,
filmed at a recent concert near Boulder, Colorado:

For further information on Richard,
including the booking of concerts and workshops,
contact him at:

kaplanmusic@hotmail.com

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