The Carpathian-Pacific Trio (Yankl Falk, Andrew Ehrlich, and Courtney Von Drehle) presents an intimate program of klezmer and Yiddish song, Romanian and Hungarian fiddle tunes, devotional Hasidic melody, Eastern European folk, American theatre and cabaret music, and much more. The members of the trio also perform as part of the klezmer/groove quintet The Carpathian-Pacific Express. Their deep friendship is reflected in their energetic musical collaboration.

For more than 40 years, Jack “Yankl” Falk (vocals/clarinet) has been at the center of Yiddish cultural life in Portland and beyond. His repertoire and performance reflects his long involvement with Hungary's premier Yiddish ensemble, Di Naye Kapelye, with whom he recorded three acclaimed CDs of Carpathian Jewish roots music and performed at fesƟvals across Europe. Yankl’s other collaboraƟons have included work with Don Byron’s Music of Mickey Katz, cellist Lori Goldston, accordionist ChrisƟna Crowder, Polka Madre (Mexico City), Di FidlKapelye (Amsterdam), Yale Strom, and the Tone Sharks. For more than 30 years, Yankl produced and hosted the Sunday morning Yiddish Hour on Portland radio. A tradiƟonal singer of Jewish liturgy, Yankl was featured in a 2013 New York Times arƟcle about iƟnerant High Holiday cantors. Andrew Ehrlich (violin) is a longƟme klezmer and co-founder of his own band, Hora Tzigane, with MarƟn Morgenbesser, and is the leader of Dr. Ehrlich and the Magic Bullets. Andrew has served as concertmaster of the Portland Chamber Orchestra and the Portland Columbia Symphony. He is a former member of the group "fEAR no MUSIC" and conƟnues to play chamber music in recital. Andrew recently premiered the violin concerto "Prayers and Dances" by Jason Heald based on Jewish themes. He is on the faculty of the Community Music Center in Portland, where he teaches violin and conducts the Adult String Orchestra.

Courtney Von Drehle (accordion/saxophone) is a co-founder of Portland’s acclaimed 3 Leg Torso and a member of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. He has been an integral member of Portland’s klezmer music community for more than 35 years, serving as co-leader of the klezmer/jazz ensemble Klezmocracy and the Portland Klezmer All-Stars. Courtney is an Emmy-nominated composer as well as an accordion evangelist who teaches privately and at workshops throughout the US. Courtney has been awarded a fellowship to study film composition at the Sundance Institute, and has received numerous commissions to compose music for film scores, commercials, radio, dance, theater, and performance projects.