Alan Bern

# Alan Bern

Alan Bern is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist recognized for his innovative approach to Jewish music and cultural preservation. Based in Berlin since 1987, Bern has pioneered the creative renewal of traditional Jewish musical forms through projects including Brave Old World, The Other Europeans, and the Semer Ensemble, blending historical research with contemporary composition to create a distinctive sound that bridges folk traditions and modern sensibilities.

Beyond performance, Bern has developed Present-Time Composition, a groundbreaking musical methodology that integrates improvisation and composition techniques informed by cognitive science. As founding artistic director of the Other Music Academy (OMA) and Yiddish Summer Weimar, he has established himself as a key figure in the dissemination and evolution of Jewish music on the international stage, influencing a new generation of musicians working at the intersection of traditional and experimental music practices.