Joseph Moskowitz

Joseph Moskowitz (1879 – June 27, 1954) was a Romanian-born Jewish cymbalum player, son of a folk klezmer cimbalist. He eventually settled in the United States.

When Moskowitz appeared at a cafe in New York City in 1908, the New York Times reported that, "posters in Yiddish, Italian, Hungarian, and Roumanian (sic) announce his presence throughout the length of East Houston Street." That appearance was to be the start of five years of musically touring the United States. He then opened a restaurant on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In 1943 he moved to Washington, DC, where he played regularly at Michel's French Restaurant near Dupont Circle.

He died in Washington, D.C. in 1954.

Recordings

The one readily available Joseph Moskowitz recording is The Art of the Cymbalom, Rounder CD 1126, 1996. This CD contains recordings Moskowitz made, some with ensembles, spanning the years 1916 to 1953.

References

• —, "Champion Cymbalist is Playing Here Now", New York Times, April 26, 1908, C4.
• Remembering Joseph Moskowitz on klezmershack.com.