Lisa Gutkin has crafted a courageously varied artistic career by bringing an instantly relatable style to audiences through her theater, music, and storytelling. A masterful Grammy Award-winning violinist, singer/songwriter, actor, and composer, Lisa has an uncanny way of taking those audiences with her wherever she goes.

Recognized for her work as violinist and vocalist for the ground breaking Jewish Roots band, The Klezmatics, and as fiddler for the “Downtown” Celtic band Whirligig, Lisa is also known for her scoring, performance, and music direction in the two time Tony award-winning play, Indecent. She had an on-screen cameo and compositions featured in Sex and the City; has performed in Sting’s Broadway musical The Last Ship; and her song Gonna Get Through This World - with words by Woody Guthrie - was hailed by Pete Seeger, as “a piece of genius. Lisa’s playing and stories are fun and poignant, and her voice has been praised by the LA Times as “hauntingly emotional.”

In addition to Woody Guthrie, Lisa has co-authored songs with Anne Sexton, and Maggie Dubris, and created scores for symphony orchestras and short films including Pearl Gluck’s Write Me, and Amy Guggenheim’s Blindsight. Her composing commissions include the Mabou Mines’ multi-genre folk opera: Song For New York: What Women Do While Men Sit Knitting.

A MacDowell and Norton Stevens Fellow, Lisa has recorded seven CD’s with The Klezmatics, four with Whirligig (with Lúnasa’s Cillian Vallely and Daisycutter’s Greg Anderson) and is co- producer of the Indecent Original Broadway Cast Recording. As a freelancer Lisa appears on hundreds of recordings with countless luminaries. Inspired by these, Lisa released a CD of her own songs, produced by John Lissauer titled From Here On In.

Lisa plays one of the earliest Samuel Zygmuntowicz violins with one of the earliest Michael Yeats bows, and uses an LR Baggs pick up system.

Watch Lisa’s past livestreams!

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Join an ONGOING KLEZMER ZOOM WORKSHOP.

Mondays at 12:30pm (ET) & 8:00pm (ET)

*learn tunes, ornaments, phrasing,

and how to play by ear *

Tuesdays at 1:oopm (ET)

*for those experienced at learning by ear*

Learn more

Photographt by Adrian Buckmaster — Photograph by Adrian Buckmaster

Lisa’s Pieces’ Bluegrass-y Revival

Lisa returns to her roots in American music with “Lisa’s Pieces,” a unique quartet playing driving traditional tunes, songs with great three-part vocal harmonies, and Lisa’s original compositions. Their shows are always a treat, and feature ample doses of warmth, good humor, and overall mercurial dazzle. The band even has a great origin story …

Once upon a time, back in the 90’s, Lisa’s long-time Bluegrass buddies Mark Murphy (bass & cello), Michael Sassano (guitar), and Wayne Fugate (mandolin), found themselves backstage at a Bluegrass Festival, jamming on one of Lisa’s recently composed tunes. In no time, the jam drew a large, really enthusiastic crowd. Large and enthusiastic enough that they found themselves on stage 20 minutes later as “Lisa’s Pieces,” a name that has lovingly stuck through the years!

From Here On In Album Covere.png — From Here On In

With hints of Celtic, Klezmer, and American folk styles, Lisa demonstrates a mastery of tenor guitar, fiddle, voice and songwriting! This six song EP, produced by John Lissauer, features Lisa’s long time collaborators Will Holshouser, and Cillian Vallely, as well as Buddy Cage, Byron Isaacs, and a host of other fantastic musicians.
Cover photo by Nicholas Dembling

Buy your copy today!

Indecent

(Original Broadway Cast Recording)

- the music of Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva

from the Two Tony Award winning play by Paula Vogel,

directed by Rebecca Taichman,

and choreographed by David Dorfman.

Experience the thrill of Indecent all over again in this 22 track record from Yellow Sound Label, Produced by Michael Croiter, Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva, and Executive Produced by Daryl Roth and the producers of the Broadway play.