Schmaltz & Pepper

2026 Grammy Award winner Drew Jurecka is joined by violinist Rebekah Wolkstein, Juno Award-winning pianist Jeremy Ledbetter, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra clarinetist Eric Abramovitz in a virtuosic night of high-energy klezmer, jazz, and cabaret.

This ensemble is redefining the traditional boundaries of Yiddish music, blending classical mastery with innovative compositions and soulful arrangements. A mere six months after Abramovitz and Wolkstein came up with the idea to form a band, they had a full show of original music and inventive arrangements. Their debut performance was a live to air broadcast with a studio audience at Zoomer Hall in Toronto for Classical 96.3FM in May 2024.

Since then, they have sold out shows for Ashkenaz, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Jewish Music Week in Toronto, and headlined the ‘Put a Yid on it’ festival in Winnipeg. They performed at many of the top chamber music festivals in Canada in 2025 - Toronto Summer Music, Ottawa Chamberfest, Stratford Summer Music, Elora Music Festival, Tuckamore Festival in Newfoundland, and completed a sold-out 11-show tour of Florida. Their debut album won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Instrumental Compositions in 2026.