In 2003, violinist Richard Schmoucler took up the challenge of forming an ensemble that combines conventional classical music with traditional eastern European folk. He brought together five fellow musicians from the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de France and the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris, along with a pianist, a cimbalom player and arranger Cyrille Lehn to create Sirba Octet.

Richard Schmoucler, violin & artistic director
Laurent Manaud-Pallas, violin
Grégoire Vecchioni, viola
Claude Giron, cello
Bernard Cazauran, double bass
Philippe Berrod, clarinet
Christophe Henry, piano
Iurie Morar, cimbalom
Cyrille Lehn, arranger

This unique ensemble which offers a fresh perspective on the klezmer, yiddish and tzigane repertoire released their first album A Yiddishe Mame on Naïve Classic in 2005. A personal selection of acoustic music steeped in the melodies of Eastern Europe, the album is an anthology of songs with Slavic and Yiddish flavours, memories of founder Richard Schmoucler’s own family gatherings and celebrations. This music, a cornerstone of his culture and his personal consciousness, inspired him to envision an array of performances and to reintroduce this music into his life and his career as a classical musician.