Queen of Klezmer Clarinet
Crowned the Queen of Klezmer Clarinet by the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain, and described as "one of the best klezmer clarinettists of our day" by Songlines magazine, Susi Evans is a founder member of both She'Koyokh and the London Klezmer Quartet with whom she has toured Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil and released a total of eight studio albums. Susi has performed as a soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Aurora Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Swan. In Europe she performs regularly with the band Halva, and with her duo partner, accordionist Szilvia Csaranko, together with whom she published the Klezmer Playbook, founded the Klezmer Playbook CLUB and recently released their second album Fun an Altn Klezmer Heft.
Susi appeared regularly on London's West End stage in the National Theatre’s smash-hit production of War Horse and has worked with BAFTA-winning composer Jocelyn Pook, the Mahogany Opera Group and as musical director for Limbik Theatre.
Susi grew up in Hemel Hempstead, attended the Purcell School of Music and after graduating from the Royal Academy of Music continued her studies in Istanbul and at the Plovdiv Academy of Music in Bulgaria.
She is Head of Faculty at Klezfest London and has taught at all the major international klezmer festivals including Yiddish New York, KlezKanada and Yiddish Summer Weimar.
In 2017 Susi received an ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music), awarded to former students who have made a significant contribution to the music profession. In 2020 she won second prize in the International Clarinettist Corona Competiton, adjudicated by 13 of the world's top clarinet players.
"It was a blast trading clarinet licks with my wonderful colleague Susi Evans.
What a monster player!!"
David Krakauer, London 2023.