Merlin Shepherd, clarinetist (England)

Merlin Shepherd is one of the world's leading players of traditional East European Klezmer Clarinet style, and apart from his own ensembles he has recorded and played with Boban Marcovic, Fanfara Ciocarlia, Fanfara Savale, Selim Sesler, Budowitz, Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars and numerous others. He has been Music Director for the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London. He was also Klezmer Advisor for the Royal Shakespeare Company for their 1992 production of Ansky's The Dibbuk, and composed scores for numerous dance and theatre companies. Together with singer Polina Shepherd he is a member of Duo Plus that performs Klezmer, Turkish, Russian, Greek, and Romanian Music.