Violin and violist, Cookie Segelstein, received her Master's degree in Viola from The Yale School of Music in 1984. She was Principal Violist in Orchestra New England and Assistant Principal in the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, as well as on the music faculty at Southern Connecticut State University. She is the founder and director of Veretski Pass, a member of Budowitz, the Youngers of Zion with Henry Sapoznik, has performed with Kapelye, The Klezmatics, Frank London, Klezmer Fats and Swing with Pete Sokolow and the late Howie Leess, Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys, and the Klezmer Conservatory Band. She has presented lecture demonstrations and workshops on klezmer fiddling all over the world, including numerous universities in the USA and at Klezmerwochen in Weimar, Germany. She is a regular staff member at Living Traditions' KlezKamp, KlezKanada, KlezCalifornia, Klezmer Festival Fürth, and has been a performing artist at Centrum's Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Wash. Cookie Segelstein was featured on TV documentary, heard in TV series and Movies with leading stars, and on several recordings with renowned artists. She is also the publisher of "The Music of..." series of klezmer transcriptions. She is active as a Holocaust educator and curriculum advisor and serves on boards of both the North California Viola Society, and the American String Teacher Association, Bay Area chapter.
