The Klezmer Conservatory band returns to Stanford University’s Memorial Auditorium Sunday, Dec 14. The band began touring 24 years ago and it promises to bring a new musical and cultural experience each time it performs.

Performances are celebrated as concerts that have the audience up and dancing in the aisles. The array of songs incorporates Yiddish culture, language, and history into a medley of up-beat tunes. "Our music has a universal appeal," Hankus Netsky, the founder and director of the band, said, "it’s exciting." Since the band’s formation in 1980, they have produced nine CDs. Their latest album, "Dance Me to the End of Love," is a 19 track celebration of the Klezmer musical tradition.

The Klezmer Conservatory Band has gained world wide recognition for both its authentic Klezmer music, and its newer song versions, which have been fused with modern musical styles like jazz and hip-hop. While the band’s repertoire has grown to include songs that incorporate several musical styles, the main focus continues to be preservation of Klezmer pieces in their original form. "We’ve been able to take some liberties [with newer songs] while remaining true to the Klezmer tradition," Jim Guttmann, the group’s bassist, manager, and a founding member, said.

Klezmer music dates back to medieval times, but was almost entirely wiped out in the years surrounding World War II. A wave of rebirth started in the 1970s and has been growing as more people become interested in groups like the Klezmer Conservatory Band. "When I started the band people were beginning to think that old fashioned Jewish music was very interesting," Netsky said. Currently, the Klezmer revival has been growing throughout the United States, as well as around the world. "It is my perception that the grandchildren of [Jewish-American] immigrants have become really interested in Yiddish culture," Guttmann said. "That generation has really sparked the revival."

Klezmer musicians originally traveled from town to town as early as the Middle Ages, playing for parities, festivals, and other special events. "Klezmer music was party music," Guttmann said. Songs are often as joyous as a wedding party, but can become as solemn as a funeral procession. The Klezmer Conservatory Band strives to keep that same emotional blend when it performs. "It sounds happy, but it always has a kind of sad tone as well," Netsky said. "It’s a window into a culture, the way the blues or flamenco is a window into a culture."

Though the group originally performed for mostly religiously affiliated organizations and Jewish community centers when it was first formed in 1980, it has continually broadened its audience, which now includes more commercial venues such as Stanford University. As venues increased, the band’s audience base also grew. "We don’t see any reason why our audience should be predominately Jewish," Netsky said.

Since many songs the band performs use traditional Yiddish lyrics, the evening program will include a short overview of historical context and lyrical content at the beginning of various pieces during the performance. "We present a synopsis of the content of the song," Guttmann said, "but it’s not a lecture demonstration." Additionally, translated versions of song lyrics are often provided.

Tickets for Sunday’s concert are available on the Stanford Lively Art’s web site at http://livelyarts.stanford.edu or by calling the Stanford ticket office at (650) 725 — 2787. After their performance at Stanford, the Klezmer Conservatory Band will be heading to the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a concert on Dec 16.