"I brought back enduring connections with colleagues and friends and a resolve to return to reconnect and continue to explore the hidden corners of Romania and maybe find my own special spot in a secluded 'sat.'"
In Vald Arayn
On September 1st, U.S. Fulbrighter Zoë Aqua is releasing her first solo album of original compositions, recorded with Eastern European musicians. “In Vald Arayn” is a collection of 11 string compositions drawing from the Klezmer and Transylvanian musical traditions. The album’s Yiddish title translates to “Into the Forest”, a play on the literal meaning of the word Transylvania, “beyond the forest” in Latin.
Zoë Aqua is a violinist, music educator, and composer. She has been awarded a Fulbright Student research grant in Cluj, Romania for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years to study Transylvanian folk music pedagogy and the way musical folk traditions are passed on from generation to generation.
The first two tracks on Zoë’s album are already available here: In Vald Arayn | Zoe Aqua | Borscht Beat (bandcamp.com).
Read more about her work in this recently published article: Klezmer meets Transylvania in violinist Zoë Aqua’s ‘magical mix’ – Jewish Telegraphic Agency (jta.org)