core members
Aaron Kula, music director is a nationally recognized conductor, educator, composer, accordionist, and producer. In 2018 Mr. Kula was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Specialist grant in music to conduct, lecture and perform in Israel. A 25 year Boston resident, Aaron Kula attended the New England Conservatory of Music where he cultivated his interdisciplinary studies in conducting, jazz, and ethnic music. His lifelong interest in classical, jazz and folk music led him to form the award-winning Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra (KCJO) in 1997.
KCJO is a multi-genre performing ensemble with an expansive roster of professional musicians. He has conducted several orchestra premiers in South Florida including Duke Ellington's Black Brown and Beige in 2011, Leonard Bernstein's On The Town in 2014, and Jeremiah Symphony in 2016. Maestro Kula is artistic director of Kultur Festival, Broadway in Concert, Sinfonietta Society, and managing director of Kula Concert Productions. Mr. Kula uses performances as a platform to transform the concert experience for an intergenerational and multicultural audience. He regularly juxtaposes and combines unrelated genres utilizing multi-media presentations to accompany the music.
As a composer and folk musician, Aaron Kula has produced three studio albums including Beyond The Tribes (2009), Klezmerology (2011), and JubanoJazz (2016). In 2011 Beyond the Tribes was selected by a juried committee from the Library of Congress (LOC) for inclusion in the Copyright Acquisitions Division. The LOC determined the album was representative of an important cross section of American culture that would "enrich the collections." In 2011 and 2014, Kula led his KCJO on concert tours to California, Arizona, and Rhode Island. In 2015 KCJO was invited to perform in Canada at the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto and Montreal Jewish Music Festival.
As an orchestral conductor, Kula has led orchestras throughout the US, Europe, and Israel and served on the conducting faculty at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston (1986 to 2013), Boston University, Chautauqua Music School in New York, and Florida Atlantic University. An active guest conductor, he has worked with Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Erie Ballet (PA), Boston Conservatory Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus, Boca Raton Sinfonia, and New Hampshire Ballet. He has worked with renowned artists including cellists Yo-Yo Ma, Colin Carr, and Jeffrey Solow, clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, mezzo-soprano Denise Graves, as well as members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. From 1987 to 2003 Mr. Kula led eleven international orchestra tours with New England Conservatory, Harvard and Stanford Universities.
As an accordionist, Kula performs with KCJO and collaborates with artists throughout South Florida. He has guest lectured at University of Miami, performed at Nova Southeastern University and Florida International University and was guest accordionist with the New World Symphony in Miami. From 2009-2011 he served as music consultant for the Klezmer exhibit at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. Maestro Kula holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory and Judaic Studies from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Music in Theory and Conducting with Distinction in Performance from New England Conservatory of Music.
Chaim Rubinov, trumpet, flugelhorn, and arranger, is a native of Montreal, Canada. He has toured the U.S. and South America and has performed with renowned artists including Marvin Hamlisch, Nestor Torres and Tito Puente, Jr. A talented composer and arranger, Chaim composes many new Latin-Klezmer arrangements which have been performed and recorded by KCJO. He has led bands for cruise ships and worked as a studio musician for radio and television commercials. Chaim holds a bachelor of music from the University of North Texas, where he studied with jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd.
Randi Fishenfeld, violin, studied with Juilliard professor Sylvan Schulman and developed an eclectic style of performing across genres including rock, blues, jazz, klezmer and gypsy swing. She is in demand as a recording artist and has performed with Kansas, America, Air Supply, B.B. King, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Valentine, Clarence Clemons and Nestor Torres. Randi tours nationally and leads her own group, Bluefire Band.
Scott Klarman, saxophones and flute, a native of South Florida, is a multi-talented instrumentalist who began musical studies with his father, an accomplished classical, commercial and recording musician. Scott attended Miami-Dade College and studied with international recording artist Ed Calle. He has performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival. An innovative improvisational musician, he is in demand as a freelance and recording artist.
David Levitan, trombone, a native of South Florida, received a bachelor of music degree from the University of Florida and attended the University of North Florida's Jazz Studies Program. He worked as a musician and performer for the Walt Disney Company and has performed with internationally renowned artists including Joe Williams, Louis Bellson, Herbie Hancock, Clint Holmes, Lisa Donovan, Debbie Boone and the national tour of Hello Dolly.
Valerio Cantori, piano, a native of Cento di Ferrara, Italy, earned his degree in classical piano from the Conservatorio di Carpi. He started his professional career as a pianist on cruise ships at the age of 23 performing classical, jazz, opera, pop, Latin and R&B. He has worked with international artists such as Charles Dumont, Sam Moore, Charo and Andrea Bocelli and arranged and produced the opera-show Café Fantastico for PBS.
Ranses Colon, bass, from Venezuela, has recorded works with artists such as Ricky Martin, Placido Domingo, Juan Gabriel, Nestor Torres, Enrique Chia, Celia Cruz (band leader), Juan luis guerra and Oscar de Leon. The album "Tribute to Lecuona", with Enrique Chia, was nominated for a Grammy in 2002. He is a premier bassist for tango performers, and performs chamber, latin and folk music. Ranses manages Colon Productions, produces and arranges a wide range of genres.
George Mazzeo, drums and percussion, is a South Florida native and began his professional career while attending Nova High School and the University of Miami. He has performed or recorded a range of artists from Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Julio Iglesias, Ray Charles, Henry Mancini, Sammy Davis Jr., the Florida Philharmonic and the Miami City Ballet, among others. George has an extensive background playing Broadway shows,is currently the drummer for the legendary conductor Peter Nero, and teaches drums at Miami Dade College-Wolfson.
Teresa Flores, percussion, is a native of Los Angeles where she received her bachelor of music degree from the University of Southern California. She has performed with such artists as Louie Bellson, Poncho Sanchez, Glen Velez and Mick Fleetwood. Teresa received her master of music degree from Florida International University and teaches music in the Miami-Dade school system.
