Valley Streamer brings Jewish opera to life

The sounds of opera have long appealed to Valley Stream resident Leonard Lehrman, who runs a music school from his home.

This year, Jewish opera comes to life in Lehrman’s aptly named “Jewish Opera Lives” concert series, being held in three states. Following performances in March in Florida and New Jersey, the series picks up again in September with five more shows, including four on Long Island.

That’s just part of what is shaping up to be a big year for Lehrman. One of his own operas, “Hannah,” will be performed in the United States for the first time. He will also be teaching a class at Hebrew Union College in Manhattan from Aug. 28 through Dec 11. Lehrman said it is the first time a course on Jewish opera will have been taught.

He has been writing to several composers, seeking music for his students to study.

The concert series will explore a variety of pieces from the 19th century through present day, featuring works from several composers including Fromental Halevy, Marc Blitzstein, Joel Mandelbaum and Lehrman. Each show will be a little different, and Lehrman some songs will be recognizable, such as pieces from “Fiddler on the Roof.”

“It’s gorgeous music from three centuries,” Lehrman said of his series. “We will have things people will know, and things they won’t know that they will be intrigued by.”

There was a bit of a hiccup after the two March shows, when his two lead singers left. Although the series was designed with them in mind, Lehrman went on the hunt for new performers, rather than scrapping the fall concerts. Cantors Meredith Greenberg and David Katz will be the new additions. “It was a crisis,” Lehrman said, “but we were very, very fortunate that we found two people that are at the top of their profession.”

Lehrman said he fell in love with Jewish music in 1962, around the time he had his bar mitzvah. In his early 20s, he developed an ear for opera, and the two interests soon merged.

In 1973, he was chosen to finish an opera that was started by Blitzstein. Since then, he has completed several of his own pieces.